


Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy – Episode IV: The Last Hope

by DarkBluePhoenix



Series: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy [4]
Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rebuild of Evangelion | Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-25 21:12:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 173,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9844460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkBluePhoenix/pseuds/DarkBluePhoenix
Summary: Welcome to the gauntlet Shinji Ikari, now get in that Evangelion and fight for Earth, love, and your father's affection, also starring Rei Ayanami, the quiet one, Asuka Langley Soryu, the loud one, and Mari Illustrious Makinami, the mysterious one. And let's not forget about Misato, our young hero's guardian/friend. Now get out there and kick some Angel ass! Evangelion... Launch!





	1. The Shooting Star She Saw

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode IV: The Last Hope

* * *

Chapter 1 – The Shooting Star She Saw  
August 1, 2010 – NERV 3rd Branch, Berlin

Asuka ducked behind cover as a flurry of bullets hit the wall she had just been standing in front of. Plaster and brick dust rained down on her head, coating her fiery red hair and making it look less shiny.

"Ficken arschlochs." Asuka muttered as she reloaded her rifle. "Time to make you pay for trying to shoot me."

Asuka jumped out and fired at the offending units, as the bullets hit, they disintegrated from view. "Ha, suck on that, losers!" Asuka exclaimed as she moved forward.

Asuka was training her hand–eye coordination in a battle simulator at NERV's Berlin lab. Since finding out she was the Second Child, she wanted nothing more than to be the best Evangelion pilot she could. The simulation was set in a World War III battlefield, with Asuka playing the part of infantryman. She was equipped with an advanced assault rifle, and was trying to beat her previous simulation time and kill count.

'I'll show my father that I'm the best, I'll show everyone!' Asuka thought as she racked up more kills in the simulator, taking down another 3 guys she came up on from behind. 'I just have to complete my mission effortlessly, even if I increase the difficulty, I'll never be beaten!'

Asuka whipped around a corner and found her mission objective, guarded by 12 guys, at least 10 of which she needed to kill to beat her old score, and all 12 if she wanted to kill every simulated enemy in the game. She had only three minutes left to beat her old time, and two if she wanted to complete her perfect score.

'Fine, I have plenty of time, I just can't damage the objective.' Asuka thought. Even at the age of 4, she was a crack shot and able to fight as well as any adult.

Asuka jumped out from behind cover and opened fire. She dropped four of the men with her opening volley and dived behind more cover to avoid the holographic bullets being fired back at her. Asuka popped out from the side of where she was and aimed up, taking out two more enemy AI in the process. 'Scheisse, still six left… gotta try harder!' Asuka thought as she jumped up and yelled, emulating the pre–Second Impact movie she had watched the night before, Rambo.

"ARRRRRGH!" Asuka shouted as she fired her rifle on full–auto. "Eat hot lead bitches!" Asuka rapid volley of bullets downed the other six enemies in the simulation. Asuka ran out from behind cover and grabbed the mission objective. "Ha, 100 fucking percent!" Asuka exclaimed victoriously. "12.2 seconds under time, I am now officially the greatest!"

" _Beating some time limit in a war simulation isn't very realistic, Ms. Soryu._ " A female voice said over the intercom. " _Clearly you like playing kiddie games, because your accuracy with the rifle is shit, your excessive ammo use is beyond spray and pray tactics, and your utter lack of combat awareness and tactics is just downright pathetic._ "

"Who the fuck are you to tell me this is a kiddie game?" Asuka shouted at the control room. "I am an Evangelion pilot, you can't talk to me that way."

" _I can and I will, Asuka._ " The voice said. " _I'm your new training officer, Second Lieutenant Misato Katsuragi._ " Misato said angrily. " _Now, get up here, we need to have a little discussion._ "

The simulation around Asuka dissolved, and was replaced with the blank walls of the simulator. Asuka went to the area marked as the door, and the segment of the wall swung open and Asuka stormed out of the simulator with her prop gun swung over her shoulder.

'That bitch! Who does she think she's talking to? I'm not some fucking child who can be pushed around and talked to like that. I don't even let me arschloch of a father do that to me anymore.' Asuka thought angrily as she got to the control room. 'It's time to show this new bitch what's what, and get her shipped along like all the others.'

Asuka walked inside and was greeted, not by some older harsh officer, but a young woman with long, deep purple hair, and stern hazel eyes wearing an officer's uniform. "So you're Katsuragi then?" Asuka said, sounding unimpressed. "So why did you call me up here anyway? I really should shower first, I smell like the inside of a boy's locker room."

"That's _Lieutenant_ Katsuragi to you Pilot!" Misato barked. "You can shower later, my office now, let's go!"

Asuka walked nonchalantly behind Misato to the office not far from the control room. Misato motioned the girl inside, and slammed the door behind her.

"What the hell were you thinking, talking to me that way, pilot!" Misato shouted. "That is no way to talk to a superior officer!"

"I was thinking, I don't like being spoken to like that." Asuka replied back sternly. "I deal with that shit at home, I don't want to have to deal with it here from some superior asshole like you."

"What did you call me?" Misato said, gripping her desk tightly.

"Asshole, you know, where the shit comes out of, do you need me to spell it for you?" Asuka said sarcastically.

"Hmm, you think you're funny do you?" Misato said. "Well you're not, you're just a spoiled little brat." Misato spat. "Boo–hoo, the privileged little pilot doesn't deal well with criticism from others." Misato said sarcastically. "Well, grow up, you're going to be the pilot of a massive war machine known as an Evangelion, you'll be facing some criticism."

"Like you know what the fuck goes on in my house, you stupid, self–righteous bitch!" Asuka spat. "I have to deal with a father who hates me, a step–mother who's trying to replace my mother and two half–siblings who get all the attention and kindness I never got from my bastard father and his whore of a wife!"

'That wasn't in her file…' Misato thought. 'God, now I feel like an asshole, she certainly got that right.' Misato cleared her throat. "Look, I didn't realize that was going on at home. Have you tried to get out of there?"

"Yeah, a lot, but it always gets stopped." Asuka shouted. "I just want out so I cannot be fucking harassed all the time, or ignored!" Asuka breathed in heavily. 'I wonder why she changed her tone so quickly?' Asuka thought.

"Alright, relax Asuka." Misato said. "Look. I've seen part of your file. You're a very intelligent girl with a GED, why not just go to college. There's one not far from the base, if you enroll, you can live here, go to school there, and not have to go home." Misato said. "And by furthering your education, you'll become more mature."

"But that's a technical school, what would I learn there? My momma was a scientist, not an engineer…" Asuka said sadly. "And I only took the GED so I wouldn't have to deal with stupid kids anymore."

"Well, maybe mechanical engineering, so you can be better equipped to learn about and pilot the Evangelion." Misato said. "You can get your master's degree, and not have to worry about school anymore, or your father."

Asuka just looked stunned. "But haven't deadlines for this stuffed passed already?" Asuka asked.

"Don't you worry about that, I can have NERV pull some big strings for you." Misato said kindly. "Now, between your studies and your job here, you won't have much free time, are you ok with that?"

"Yeah, I'm fine with that." Asuka said sternly. "Free time is for kids anyway."

* * *

April 8, 2012 – NERV 3rd Branch, Berlin

An Entry Plug had been set up in a small pool of LCL. The person being led to that plug was none other than Asuka Langley Soryu. She was dressed in a brand new plugsuit. She had designed the suit herself, and modeled it after her mother's own plugsuit from that fatal day almost eight years ago.

Asuka's plugsuit was colored bright red, with a green highlight along the collar bone, blue highlights on the collar, and deep burnt orange highlights on her breasts that looked like pasties. "Hmm, these make my chest look nicer than I thought." Asuka said as she approached the Entry Plug. There were also black lowlights on the underside of her arms and several black stripes wrapped around her thighs that accentuated her curves quite nicely. "Hmm, with this on, I look like a real adult." Asuka said as she got nearer the Entry Plug. "What's that word those perverted boys always say? Sexy? Yeah, I look sexy in this thing." Asuka also had the A10 connectors in her hair. They were the color as the plugsuit, bright red. "Hmm, these look good in my hair, and they show off how important I am, I think I may leave them in to show the world I'm the best, most elite Evangelion pilot there is."

Asuka approached the pilot seat and sat down. A crane moved the seat into the awaiting Entry Plug which was in the pool of LCL.

" _Asuka are you ready?_ " Misato asked over the intercom. " _I know you've been training had for this, so just relax and concentrate. The tests should only take a few minutes. It is your first time after all._ "

"Yes, Misato, I'm ready. Let's find out just how good I am." Asuka said proudly.

"Alright, Sergeant, begin the test." Misato said standing in the control room tapping the man on the shoulder.

"Sealing the Entry Plug now, ma'am." The sergeant replied. "Plug sealed… simulating connection process… mock primary connections established."

Asuka was now in semi–darkness with a faint orange glow around her.

"Power online… flooding Entry Plug with LCL now." The sergeant said tapping the control console. "LCL fill process complete… establishing secondary contacts… electrolyzing LCL… secondary connections established… A10 nerve connections online and normal."

The Entry Plug lit up in a dazzling array of colors, but displayed nothing afterward, returning to its semi–transparent orange glow.

"Hey, Asuka is everything alright?" Misato asked.

" _Yeah, Misato, the LCL is a bit weird, but it's not that bad._ " Asuka replied over the intercom. " _How much longer?_ "

"Just a few minutes." Misato replied.

"Configuring language logic interface for German… all preliminary contacts are established… Sync test is now active… pilot life signs normal… brain wave activity is nominal." The sergeant said. "Synchronization ratio is… 22.2%! That's a full 7.2% above the minimum activation threshold, astonishing… on the first try."

"Alright then, open the intercom, I'll let her know." Misato said happily. "And we can end the test in a few minutes, we need at least five minutes of steady data for analysis."

"Yes, ma'am!" The sergeant replied.

Asuka was sitting quietly in the plug, just relaxing and breathing in the LCL. 'Well this is boring as hell. When is this stupid thing over?' Asuka thought.

" _Hey, Asuka, are you awake in there?_ " Misato asked over the intercom.

"Is the test over, is that the news?" Asuka asked.

" _Yes and no._ " Misato replied. " _The good news is that your sync rate was above the activation threshold, on your first try too!_ "

"How high above the activation threshold did I get?" Asuka asked. 'The threshold is 15%, how high did I get?' Asuka thought.

" _You got 7.2% above the activation threshold, Asuka._ " Misato replied.

"So I scored a 22.2% on the first try?"

" _Yep, good job Asuka._ " Misato said. " _Keep this up and you will be the best pilot we have!_ "

"I told you I'd be the great Evangelion pilot ever, Misato, but you didn't want to believe me." Asuka said proudly. 'I can't believe I did it, momma would be so proud of me if she were here…' Asuka thought. 'Momma, I promise, I'll keep doing good for you, I want you to be proud of me.'

* * *

December 4, 2014 – Drahnsdorf, Germany

Asuka and Misato were laying out in a large field far from Berlin, in a rural town called Drahnsdorf. Misato's bright blue, custom 1974 Alpine A310 1600VE sat a short distance away. The reason they were out here was a surprise for Asuka on her 13th birthday, which Misato wanted to celebrate with her trainee, and now, after four years, friend.

"Mien Gott, where did you get that death trap Misato? Wouldn't it have been safer to drive one of NERV's company vehicles like a normal person?" Asuka asked scathingly.

"Bah, those things move like bricks, and are no fun to drive." Misato said happily. "I got it the other day at a nice used car revamp shop. They take the cars apart and refit them with new engines, internal upgrades, and a bunch of other stuff, it was expensive, but boy was it worth it. Besides, my car has all the modern amenities, including navigation, I didn't even get lost on the way up here!"

"Yeah, but we almost died…" Asuka muttered.

"What was that, Asuka?" Misato asked.

"Nothing." Asuka replied. "So, why did you drag me out here tonight?"

"It's a surprise for your birthday, silly." Misato said. "So just lay here on the blanket and be quiet, and a little patient."

"Oh, Gott, you're trying to seduce me, aren't you, Misato." Asuka said jokingly.

"WHAT!" Misato shouted. "Asuka, why would you say that?! I'm not some kind of pervert!"

Asuka laughed. "I said it so I could see your face." Asuka said, wiping tears out of her eyes. "Oh, I wish I had a camera, because that is a Kodak moment if I've ever seen one."

"Brat." Misato said, slumping back down on the blanket, and looking back at the sky.

"Loser." Asuka replied. "You need to relax Misato, grow a sense of humor."

"Oh, Asuka, some things never change with you… but others." Misato said happily. "Asuka, in two years you've steadily improved your sync score to just over 26%. Now, I know you keep thinking that's not good enough, but it is. You're the best pilot we have."

"I know that, the other girl hasn't even been able to sync yet." Asuka said. "Poor First Child, can't even activate an EVA…"

"Asuka, be nice. You shouldn't make fun of someone for something you can do and they can't. What would happen if you couldn't sync anymore?" Misato asked.

"I doubt that will ever happen, I'm a natural at this." Asuka said proudly.

"Asuka…" Misato said.

"What? I'm giving you the truth, don't hate me for being good. I just hope that First Child gives it a bit more of a try, I want some competition." Asuka said indignantly.

"Be careful what you wish for Asuka." Misato warned. "They still haven't gotten a pilot for Unit–01 yet, they could end up being better than you."

"Snowball's chance in hell, Misato." Asuka said nonchalantly.

"Plus Unit–03 and Unit–04 being built in the United States." Misato continued, with a slight edge in her voice. "You could end up no being the top pilot at all with a bunch of stiff competition."

"Yeah, whatever." Asuka replied.

"Look, Asuka, I won't always be here for you to watch over you, or guide you, or teach you stuff. Sometimes we get transferred elsewhere." Misato said. "I just want you to be as ready as you can be in the future."

"What are you on about, Misato?" Asuka asked.

"Look, Asuka, you've improved your tactics, your weapons skills, your close quarter's combat skills, all of it, and I'm proud of you, Asuka." Misato said.

"Mien Gott, you're rambling now, which means there's something you don't want to tell me!" Asuka exclaimed.

"It's nothing, Asuka, don't worry about it." Misato said. "How your master's degree coming along?"

"I'll be done with them in a few weeks. I'll graduate and be a professional mechanical engineer and chemist." Asuka said. "Now stop avoiding question, Misato."

"Well, Asuka you know I got promoted right?" Misato said.

"Yeah, to First Lieutenant, right?" Asuka asked.

"Yes, but along with that came a transfer order." Misato replied.

"Where are you going, one of the branches close by?" Asuka asked. "The fourth or fifth branches aren't far away, and the sixth branch is really close to Berlin, cause you'd still be in Germany."

"No, it's not London, Paris, or Hamburg. I'd like it to be, but it's not." Misato replied. "I've been ordered to transfer to NERV's 1st Branch, in the United States…" Misato said sadly.

"The United States?!" Asuka exclaimed angrily. "Why would they send you there?" Asuka demanded.

"To train and run battle simulations with the under–construction Unit–03 and Unit–04." Misato said. "And if I'm really lucky, they may consider me as a candidate for the open Tactical Division Director, which would mean a big promotion for me."

"But, I don't want you to go…" Asuka said. "I don't want you to leave, then I have to break in a new training officer…"

"Don't worry about it, Asuka. You can still call me." Misato said. "You can always call me if you want to talk."

"Yeah, I know…" Asuka said sullenly. "When do you have to leave?"

"New Year's Eve." Misato said. "I'll arrive just before the new year at M.I.T."

"But that's not long at all, why didn't you tell me sooner?" Asuka asked.

"Because, I didn't want to upset you… and I didn't want to tell you tonight either, but you forced me!" Misato said. "I didn't want to ruin your birthday…"

"Some birthday…" Asuka said angrily under her breath.

"Hey… I'm sorry, I don't want to leave, but I have to." Misato said. "I'm sure you'll get along with my replacement just fine. Just promise me one thing, don't try to kill them ok? I know I'm a tough act to follow."

"Yeah, sure." Asuka said.

"Hey, get ready, Asuka your surprise is coming." Misato said. "Look up."

"Why would I do that, you might sneak away when I'm not looking…" Asuka said in a hurt tone.

"Asuka, I told you, I don't want to leave, but orders are orders." Misato said. "I want to stay and watch you grow up, and keep training you and watch you get even better, but it's just not possible." Misato sighed and placed her hand on Asuka's shoulder. "Maybe someday we can be in the same place again."

"I guess… but I'll still miss you Misato…" Asuka said sadly. 'Why do people always leave me?' Asuka thought.

"Here we go Asuka, look up at your surprise." Misato said.

Asuka looked up to see large number of bright streaks across the sky. "Oh, wow, a meteor shower…" Asuka said happily.

"I know how much you love the stars, Asuka." Misato said happily. "Now make a wish, we don't have any candles because I forgot to bring your cake."

"It's ok, Misato, I know you're forgetful like that." Asuka said playfully. "Thank you Misato."

"You're welcome, Asuka." Misato said. "And happy birthday."

As the number of shooting stars increased, there were two immensely bright ones that lit up the sky above them, and looked as though they were _flying into_ space. Both girls tracked the movement of these two shooting stars with their eyes.

Asuka saw the one on the left first and made a wish. 'That friend I forgot about… I wish I can find him again, please… that's all I want, even if I won't admit it to anyone.' Asuka thought happily.

Misato caught the shooting star on the right and made her own wish. 'I want to protect humanity from the angels, and wipe every trace of them from this world.' Misato thought savagely.

Both girls continued to look up as the two bright shooting stars got less and less bright as they moved farther away towards the moon.

'I do hope my wish comes true.' Asuka and Misato both thought as they relaxed under the night sky watching the rest of the meteor shower content with the world.

* * *

January 2, 2015 – NERV 3rd Branch, Berlin

Asuka sat alone in her room. She was angry, as she had been told her father was coming to see her about something important. She looked over at the stuffed monkey she had on her dresser and grimaced.

"Great, I wonder what that asshole wants this time." Asuka said angrily, kicking her dresser with her foot and instantly regretting it. "Gottverdammt scheißkerl!" Asuka shouted. "Warum ist es immer die pinke Zehe, die am meisten schmerzt?!" Asuka sat down on her bed in a huff and continued to rug her injured foot. "I really don't want to see him, but they said I had no choice, so I guess I'll just wait for the arschloch."

Asuka laid down and waited for the inevitable knock on her door, which came a short time later. "Come in." Asuka said sullenly.

Instead of who she was expecting, her father, another man stood in the doorway. It was a tall, handsome man with an unshaven face, long dark hair tied up in a messy ponytail, brown eyes, and a kind smile, and he was holding a folder under his arm. "Hello, there, Ms. Soryu." The man said charmingly. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I just got into town. Name's Ryoji Kaji, but everyone calls me Kaji." Kaji said as he winked. "I'll be your new training officer."

"What?" Asuka asked.

"Your new training officer, to replace one, Lieutenant Katsuragi who left a couple days ago." Kaji said. "Sorry, I know you're waiting for someone else, but I wanted to say hello while you had a free moment."

"Uh… its fine." Asuka said, still in shock. 'He's kinda cute, and they've never sent a male training officer before. I wonder why they sent him though, he didn't mention a rank or anything…'

Asuka's thoughts were interrupted however by someone else entering the room, her father, Oscar Langley.

"Asuka." Oscar said gruffly as he noticed Kaji. "And you are?" Oscar asked.

"Ryoji Kaji, but everyone just calls me Kaji." Kaji said happily. "Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Yeah, whatever." Oscar said. "Why are you here?"

"I'm Asuka's training officer, sir." Kaji replied.

"That's nice. Would you mind leaving us alone?" Oscar said snidely.

"Unfortunately… no." Kaji replied. "As she is now under my command, and an employee of NERV on NERV property, as you know, I'm exercising my right to monitor this conversation, that and I'd rather be here to intervene if any were to… occur."

Oscar's fists clenched. "Whatever." Oscar said through gritted teeth. "Asuka. I need to tell you something, important."

"Just get it over with, Oscar." Asuka said snarkily. "I don't like you darkening my doorstep for too long."

"Well, Mimori and I have been talking, and she wants to adopt you." Oscar said. "And I have to say I agree with her. It would be… nice… if we all had the same last name, to show that we're actually a family."

"And what happens to my mother's name?" Asuka asked angrily. "We just get rid of it?"

"Exactly." Oscar replied. "After the adoption you'd have the name Asuka Langley Shikinami."

"Never going to happen, arschloch." Asuka said angrily, getting off her bed and staring her father down. "I don't want that whore's name. Especially not in the place of my mother's."

Asuka's nostrils flared and fists clenched, and Oscar had a vein popping quite violently in his temple. Kaji readied himself for one of the two to try and hit the other.

"You don't really have a choice, Asuka." Oscar said through gritted teeth. "I was asking you as a courtesy."

"Well, I don't want that whore's name!" Asuka shouted. "I don't want the name of the woman you were fucking and impregnated before my mother killed herself! She left her to die because she was with you. My mother is gone because of your fucking whore and your inability to keep it in your pants!"

"You don't know anything!" Oscar shouted. 'How could she?' Oscar thought.

"Yes I do! I know that whore had two full term twins after 40 weeks, but my mother only died before eight months before hand!" Asuka said. "So unless she was given an immaculate conception or looking at a girl can get her pregnant, you were cheating on my mother while she lay in a fucking hospital out of her mind! What the fuck kind of person are you, you sick, useless, piece of shit!"

"How dare you!" Oscar shouted back. "I tried to be nice about it, but you won't have it, you're just an ungrateful little bitch like your mother! Now your name will be changed and that's final!"

"NO! My momma was a wonderful person, everyone here tells me so! They were surprised a freak like you was ever able to be with her!" Asuka shouted. "I won't change my name, I won't ever give up my momma's proud name for some fucking whore!"

"YOU DON'T HAVE A FUCKING CHOICE!" Oscar roared. "YOU'RE MY CHILD, YOU DON'T GET TO HAVE A CHOICE IN THIS MATTER!"

Asuka clenched her fist, and shifted her body in preparation to give her father the right hook he so rightly deserved. However, before she could, Kaji intervened.

"Well, actually, she does have a choice." Kaji said happily as he handed the folder he was holding to Oscar. "See there on that document? She's been emancipated from your custody as of yesterday." Kaji turned to Asuka. "That's why I didn't come yesterday, I was busy getting this done at HQ before I got left."

"What the hell is this shit?" Oscar demanded. "How did you get this?"

"Well, the document was signed by Sub–Commander Fuyutsuki, and counter signed by Commander Ikari." Kaji said. "As to why? Well, looking at the stopped emancipation orders over the past few years were stopped by the commander of this facility, your father, I decided to go a step above him, as it will be easier to move Asuka around in the future if we don't need parental approval first. Funny how the Sub–Commander agreed with me, he usually doesn't."

"I will have someone higher than Ikari take of this shit." Oscar said ripping the document into pieces.

Kaji chuckled. "That was a copy, sir." Kaji said smiling broadly. "Well, anyone you may know or be _related_ to who may be higher than the Commander has no authority to reverse a decision on personnel matters, as this is now considered to be."

"I'll see about that." Oscar said. "Who has been named her guardian in the meantime? She's still too young to make any legal decisions herself, even if she has a fucking degree."

"Oh, that would be me for now." Kaji said happily. "Out of convenience until a better candidate can be found."

Oscar's jaw clenched and he moved to punch Kaji, swinging his right towards Kaji's face. Kaji however, sidestepped him, and moved to throw Oscar to the ground.

"Now, now, no need for violence sir." Kaji said. "Now, I'd like to ask you to leave, as you're in a violent state and could be a danger to my charge. Now will you leave quietly, or will I have to call security?"

Oscar got up and brushed himself off. "This isn't over." Oscar said as he started to leave.

Kaji's kind façade vanished when he responded. "Yes it is, and if you even try to bother her again, _I'll_ make you regret it."

Oscar left without another word and Kaji turned to Asuka. "So, kiddo, you ok?" Kaji asked her.

Asuka, who had watched the scene unfold in front of her was speechless. 'He defended me… and he doesn't even know me. He must… love me… isn't that what love is?' Asuka thought. "Oh, I'm fine Mr. Kaji, thank you." Asuka said as sweetly as she could. "We always fight like that, but we never have to think about that again thank to you."

"Good, no how about we go do something fun, want some ice cream?" Kaji asked.

"Yeah, that sounds nice, Mr. Kaji." Asuka said happily.

* * *

May 30, 2015 – NERV 3rd Branch, Berlin

Asuka was once again in her plugsuit. The bright red leather and latex blend suit was depressurized and formed around her young body. Asuka proudly walked to the cage, as today was the day that her Evangelion would be activated for the first time. The LCL around Unit–02. It was painted red at Asuka's insistence to match her plugsuit.

However they did not know her real reason for wanting the massive war machine painted a bright and identifiable color. 'Just how momma wanted it, a beautiful red Evangelion!' Asuka thought proudly.

Asuka looked directly at the Evangelion and spoke to it. "Now, you were made special by my momma, and I'm special too, so just turn on like a good toy and let me beat my sync score. You'll do this for me so I can make my momma proud."

Asuka didn't notice in the bright lights in the room, but the green eyes turned on for a moment and then returned to their dormant state.

" _All right Asuka._ " Kaji asked over the intercom. " _Are you ready to get inside the plug?_ "

"Yes, Mr. Kaji, I'm ready." Asuka said playfully. "I'll get inside the seat now."

" _Just remember to buckle up Asuka, we don't you getting hurt if something goes wrong._ " Kaji said kindly.

"But seatbelts are for children." Asuka bemoaned. "And I'm not a child."

" _Asuka, a real adult would listen to the advice of others._ " Kaji said.

"Alright, Mr. Kaji, I'll buckle up for you." Asuka said climbing into the seat. "I'm ready to be transferred into the Entry Plug now."

Kaji was relaxing in the control room, reclined in one of the chairs. "All right let's get this show on the road. Sergeant, bring all systems online, and get ready to begin." Kaji said.

"Yes sir." The sergeant replied. "Unit–02 activation test… ready to commence." The sergeant tapped a few keys on his console bringing up a diagram of Unit–02 in the cage. "Unit–02 is secure in the cage… all lock bolts are engaged."

"Transfer the pilot seat to the Entry Plug." Kaji said.

"Aye, sir!" The sergeant replied. "Moving the pilot's seat into the Entry Plug now."

Asuka was sitting in the seat and felt it get moved and lowered into the Entry Plug. The crane released its hold on the seat and retreated from the Entry Plug. The cover of the Entry Plug then closed and Asuka was bathed in the soft orange glow of the ambient lighting from inside the Entry Plug.

"Entry Plug has been sealed… now removing the Signal Termination Plug… Termination Plug has been removed from Unit–02… transferring Entry Plug to the Evangelion… Inserting Entry Plug." The sergeant said "Entry Plug has been locked in place… connecting to Unit–02… primary connections have been established… connection complete."

" _Alright, I'm inside and the plug is closed, can we start already?_ " Asuka said impatiently over the intercom. " _I'll need to retire when we're done with this._ "

"Asuka, be patient, the test will start when it starts." Kaji said calmly. "There are procedures that need to be followed to make this safe."

Asuka rolled her eyes. " _Alright, Mr. Kaji, I'll behave and be patient._ " Asuka said.

"Battery power online… systems booting… flooding Entry Plug with LCL now." The sergeant said. "Connecting main power cable… all circuits transmitting… main power now online… LCL fill process is now complete… establishing secondary connections… electrolyzing LCL… secondary connections established… A10 nerve connections online and nominal."

The Entry Plug lit up in a dazzling array of colors, then it was lit up further by a brilliant flash of light, followed by a rainbow of swirling color, then more colors flashed on the walls around Asuka until she could see the inside of the Cage displayed all around her. Asuka looked around her in amazement. 'Wow, this is so cool.' Asuka thought.

"Configuring language logic interface for German… all preliminary contacts have been established… performance nominal… opening bi–directional circuits…" The sergeant said. "Bi–directional circuits are now open… brain wave pattern and harmonics normal… pilot life signs are optimal… pilot synchronization ratio is at 33.7%."

"Alright, complete the connection process, sergeant." Kaji said.

"Aye, sir… establishing nerve connections now." The sergeant said. "Nerve connections are established through 1840… 1930… 2260… 2490…2550… clear to 2580… 2920… absolute borderline in 80… 50… 30… 10… absolute borderline passed… nerve connections now connected through 3510 and active… Evangelion Unit–02 is now online."

Asuka was sitting inside the plug and being patent as she heard the sergeant reading off stuff when she felt a warm presence inside the plug. 'I wonder why it feels so warm in here? The temperature is now different than any other test.' Asuka thought.

Back in the control room, Kaji was still reclined and looked like he was napping. "Excellent work, run the diagnostics programs so our young pilot will stop being so damn fidgety." Kaji said happily.

"Checking all Evangelion mechanical systems… all mechanical systems green… now checking Evangelion bio–components… all bio–components check out… Evangelion Unit–02 is all go… activation test complete." The sergeant said.

"Alright, bring it offline, and get our pilot out." Kaji said getting up. "I'll meet her down there when she gets out."

"Yes, sir… beginning shut down sequence now…" The sergeant said as Kaji got up and left the control room.

Kaji met Asuka as the Entry Plug was opening up. The pilot seat was removed by the awaiting crane and gently lowered the seat onto the catwalk Kaji was standing on. Asuka bounded out of the seat when she saw Kaji and ran up to him.

"Hi, Mr. Kaji." Asuka said. "How did I do?" She asked sweetly.

"You did great kid." Kaji said. "Unit–02 checked out fine. A few more activation tests and it will be cleared for combat."

"What about my sync score?" Asuka bemoaned.

"Ah, well, you're a whole point up from the last test, 33.7% to be exact." Kaji said proudly. "Great job Asuka, I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks Mr. Kaji!" Asuka said proudly hugging the man and getting the leftover LCL all over him. 'I hope you're proud of me too momma. I hope you're proud of me too.' Asuka thought as Kaji hugged her back.

–––

Misato walked into her commanding officer's office. The American behind the desk was a gruff man named Michael Harris.

She had been called there for something important as he made it sound quite urgent.

"Major, you wanted to see me about something?" Misato asked, saluting him.

"At ease, First Lieutenant Katsuragi." Major Harris said. "Good of you to come here so quickly. Please, take a seat."

"Thank you, sir." Misato sat down. "What did you want to see me about, sir?"

"Well, you have new orders, Katsuragi." Major Harris said. "Your application to NERV HQ has been accepted. You been assigned as the Tactical Division Director for NERV with a promotion to Captain, and pending approval and your performance, more promotions will follow." Harris paused. "I guess your training here with Unit–03 and Unit–04 have been a success. Congratulations, _Captain_ Katsuragi."

"Uhh, thank you sir." Misato said. "I can't believe they accepted it."

"I believe it." Major Harris replied. "The Commander asked for a personal recommendation and I told him you were one of the most dedicated, hardworking and motivated officers I've ever had the pleasure of working with."

"Thank you very much sir." Misato said sheepishly. "I didn't think you thought that highly of me."

"I may not say thank you to an officer on a regular basis, but it's just a motivational tool." Major Harris said. "And I meant what I said to Commandeer Ikari, Katsuragi. It's been a pleasure to have you here at the 1st Branch, you will be missed."

"Thank you, sir." Misato said happily. "When do I leave sir?"

"You'll have a week or two to pack, you're not due into Tokyo–3 until July 12. The Commander said he would send over some details you need to familiarize yourself with some of the operational details of HQ before you get there, and I need you to find your replacement from your staff." Major Harris explained. "So, you won't have to pack up and leave today, but I would get ready to move out soon."

"Yes, sir." Misato said happily. "I can't wait to get to Tokyo–3."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Translation of Asuka's angry German:  
Goddammit motherfucker! Why is it always the pinky toe that hurts the most?!

Sync Score Rankings!  
Asuka – 33.7% (New)  
Rei – N/A  
Shinji – N/A  
Mari – N/A

This chapter is named for the first episode of the series, Gundam Wing. In Gundam Wing, Relena (main female character) sees Gundam–01 a.k.a. Wing Gundam, enter the atmosphere disguised as a shooting star. This chapter is also named for the interesting light show Misato and Asuka see, specifically, the two very bright shooting stars that will show up in Episode V (wink wink).

Now, this chapter is meant to establish us into the timeline of the show. Unit–02 is now complete, and oddly enough is the first Evangelion to be activated. Oddly enough the Prototype and the Test Type were started shortly before Unit–02. Now, Unit–00 will attempt to follow, and finally Unit–01 will activate, signaling the first battle against Sachiel and the beginning of the constant threat of Angels in this arc.

Now, Misato and Asuka's first meeting goes exactly as I always imagined it, they argued, found a bit of common ground, and started a tepid friendship which is based far more on a teacher/student relationship rather than a motherly one, as it seems to be with Shinji.

As for Kaji and Asuka's interactions, well her infatuation for him started with him defending her from her father, nothing anyone had dared to do before. Even Misato only took her out of the house with college, but didn't get her out from under her father the way Kaji did, finally getting her the emancipation she's wanted for years.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

 

つづく


	2. Berserk Fury

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode IV: The Last Hope

* * *

Chapter 2 – Berserk Fury  
June 6, 2015 – NERV HQ

The technical crew were sitting in Central Dogma, the three technicians sitting at their stations were preparing a sync test of the First Child. All three were wearing identical uniforms of white with orange detailing on the shoulders. Sitting on the left side, a young man straight, shoulder length, dark brown hair, and beady brown eyes. Second Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba of NERV's Tactical Division was reading a magazine as he was waiting for the order to begin the test. Sitting in the center of the console was another young man with glasses, slicked back, black hair, and dark brown eyes. Second Lieutenant Makoto Hyuga was tapping his console impatiently waiting for Ritsuko to arrive to begin the test. Finally, sitting on the right side of the consoles was a young, kind looking woman with neck length, medium brown hair, and kind brown eyes. Second Lieutenant Maya Ibuki was the only technician sitting patiently and awaiting the beginning of the test.

"Hey, Hyuga, do you think Rei will be able to sync today?" Maya said.

"Who knows Maya, maybe? It's been almost seven months, and she hasn't registered on the sync scale at all, right?" Hyuga said. "Hopefully today is her day."

"I hope so too." Maya said. "She always looks so disappointed when she can't sync."

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Hyuga replied. "I wonder what would make her smile?"

"Probably syncing." Maya said. "I think she just wants to make the Commander proud."

"I don't think anything could make the Commander proud." Aoba piped in.

"That's not a very nice thing to say, Aoba." Maya said admonishingly. "The Commander is just a… different kind of person."

"Yeah, he and Rei are a lot alike, they never smile, and they rarely speak in front of people." Aoba replied. "Like two peas in a pod."

"Well, there are remarkable similarities in their personality, maybe Rei is his niece or something…" Hyuga said.

"You guys are so odd sometimes." Maya said.

"We're not all as optimistic as you Maya." Aoba said. "Some of us lost a lot in Second Impact, or simply too much."

"It is difficult to be happy in a time and place where machines like Evangelions are needed to defend humanity from death." Hyuga said. "Machines like this are terrible."

"But hope is what we need after Second Impact!" Maya said passionately. "Without it the human race is lost, and NERV is that hope! That's why I joined!"

"I joined for the money." Aoba said.

"I joined because it was a decent job with something interesting to do." Hyuga said. "I guess our reasons are all different, but we did see a lot of bad things happen after Second Impact. I know I certainly want to make a difference in this world, and I think being here is the way to do that."

"So it wasn't just for the job then." Maya said. "It was for something larger."

"I guess…" Hyuga said. "So, when do you think our new Tactical Division Director will get here?"

"I heard a rumor from Dr. Akagi." Maya said happily. "She should be here in a few weeks, I think around the beginning of July."

"Hmm, that soon, huh?" Hyuga said. "Wait, did you say she?"

"Yeah, Dr. Akagi said it was her friend that was coming from NERV's 1st Branch, Captain Katsuragi I think she said." Maya Replied. "Yeah, Katsuragi was the name."

"Katsuragi, huh?" Hyuga said. "I wonder if she's related to Kenji Katsuragi."

"You mean the guy that died in Antarctica during Second Impact?" Aoba said. "That Katsuragi?"

"I didn't think to ask her name." Maya sad innocently. "I didn't really recognize the name when I heard it. It would be interesting if she is though, wouldn't it?"

"If you say so, Maya." Hyuga said. "Do you know when Akagi is getting here? I mean, we're ready to go, and Rei is just sitting quietly in there. She said noon, and its quarter past now, it's not right to keep Rei in there all day waiting."

"Well, she probably got tied up with the MAGI again, they have been acting up lately." Maya said. "I'm sure she'll be here shortly."

High above the chatting technicians, up on the Command Deck were the Commander and Sub–Commander of NERV. Commander Gendo Ikari was sitting with his hands folded across his face as always. Standing behind him on the right, with his hands behind his back was Sub–Commander Fuyutsuki., looking perpetually calm as always.

"Ikari, do you think today's test will be successful?" Fuyutsuki said.

"I'm sure it will be." Gendo said confidently. "Rei has been quite dismayed about not being able to sync. I have talked to her to assure her it is not her fault."

"You… talked to her?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Yes, at one of our weekly frequent dinners in my office." Gendo replied. "I told her that there was a problem with the Core we are working to fix."

"That's not entirely true, Ikari." Fuyutsuki said. "It's more like the soul within the Core is having a problem."

"That's why I talked to Rei, and reassured her." Gendo said. "We know the problem is with the soul of the other Rei. If she hears my reassuring words, it should allow some amount of synchronization between them. Why I didn't think of this solution sooner, I'm not sure."

"Ikari…" Fuyutsuki said.

"I know I have been distant from Rei since she died and was reborn. IT is my fault the two Rei's cannot connect as I have not treated her the same as I did the other one, something I have come to regret." Gendo said sullenly. "Maybe me being kind to her will alleviate the problem and bring her confidence back."

"Ikari, that's… unexpected." Fuyutsuki said.

"Fuyutsuki, we live in uncertain times." Gendo said staring out in front of him. "The unexpected is about to become the norm."

In front of all of these people was a large display screen showing a large pool of LCL showing a single Entry Plug immersed in it. Inside this Entry Plug was Rei Ayanami, seated demurely in her Test Plug, and dressed in her plugsuit, was also waiting anxiously for the sync test to begin. The test plug had yet to be filled with LCL, so Rei was simply sitting there and thinking over something that had been weighing heavily on her mind.

She was dressed in her marble white plugsuit, with orange highlights matching the color of her Evangelion on the shoulders, green colored monitoring devices situated awkwardly under her breasts, a small, blood red orb in the center of her chest, and red highlights on her neck. There were also black lowlights on the underside of her arms and several black stripes wrapped around her thighs that accentuated her curves quite nicely. Rei was also wearing a set of A10 connectors in her pail blue hair. The connectors were the same color as the plugsuit, marble white.

'Why can I not connect with my Evangelion?' Rei thought. 'Am I not worthy of synchronizing with it? I have failed countless times in the several months, perhaps maybe I am simply not good enough. I am not sure if I am worthy of being a pilot, even if it is my sole purpose in life, perhaps my predecessor would have been the better choice.' Rei unconsciously rubbed her neck while she thought of her previous self. 'The Commander was so kind to tell me it is not my fault, even if I think it is, he would not have told me so unless it was true.' Rei settled herself more comfortably in the pilot's seat as she thought it out. 'I guess I should listen to him, as he has never steered me wrong before, he told me that my synchronization issue is not my fault, and if he's never lied to me before, logically, Commander Ikari is correct.' Rei postulated. 'It is not my fault… I am… not to blame.' The corner of Rei's mouth twitched as though it wanted to form a smile. 'Then today, I will prove the Commander's assumption correct, that it is not my fault.'

Out in Central Dogma, Ritsuko had finally arrived, rushing in, and completely oblivious she had kept people waiting for over a half hour. "Let's begin the test." Ritsuko said, without an explanation of her whereabouts. "Maya, reset the sync computer, and begin the test sequence for the First Child."

"Beginning the sequence now ma'am." Maya replied. "Plug has already been sealed… establishing mock primary connections… primary connections established."

"Power online… flooding Entry Plug with LCL now." Hyuga said, tapping the control console in front of him.

"LCL fill process complete… establishing secondary contacts… electrolyzing LCL… secondary connections established… A10 nerve connections online and normal." Maya said, punching up a diagram of Rei's brain pattern.

The Entry Plug lit up in a dazzling array of colors, but displayed nothing afterward, returning to its semi–transparent orange glow.

"Configuring language logic interface for Japanese… all preliminary contacts have been established… the First Child's Sync test is now active… pilot life signs normal… brain wave activity is nominal." The sergeant said. "Synchronization ratio for the First Child is… 11.7%… 3.3% below the minimum activation threshold."

"How disappointing." Ritsuko said. "Our pilot can't even synchronize with her Evangelion, and Germany's pilot has already activated hers successfully three times without incident!" Ritsuko exclaimed angrily. "How will be ready to fight the angels if the First Child can't get herself together and sync with her EVA!"

"But, ma'am." Maya said sheepishly. "Ms. Ayanami has registered for the first time on the synchronization scale, isn't this good news?"

"I believe it is." Gendo said, sneaking down to the level the technicians were on. "Inform Rei the test is over and that she is done for the day." Gendo commanded. "I would call this a success, however small it is." Gendo turned to Ritsuko. "Wouldn't you, Dr. Akagi?"

Ritsuko stared daggers at Gendo, but he looked completely unfazed, and gave her a very subtle, and deadly stare.

"Yes, Commander, it is a vast improvement over the last 100 or so tests." Ritsuko said venomously. "It should be considered a _mild_ success."

"Lieutenant Ibuki, please conclude the test." Gendo commanded.

"Yes, sir!" Maya said as she tapped several keys in front of her, as did Aoba and Hyuga.

Gendo reached for the intercom and switched it on. "Rei, can you hear me?"

" _Yes, Commander Ikari?_ " Rei asked. " _Did I do well?_ "

"Yes, Rei, you did excellently." Gendo said. "Your Synchronization Ratio was 11.7%, very good for your first successful test."

" _Thank you very much, Commander Ikari._ " Rei said. ' _I am very pleased to hear you are so proud of my accomplishment._ ' Rei thought to herself.

–––

Ritsuko was walking to Gendo's office. She was quite happy with herself and had stopped in the ladies room before hand to make a quick, unnoticeable change to her outfit. 'Hmm, he only asks to see me in the middle of the day for one thing, I may as well make it easier on both of us.' Ritsuko thought as she walked towards his office.

Ritsuko entered without knocking. "Hello…" Ritsuko said in a flirtatious tone. But she stopped talking as she saw that Gendo was not alone as she assumed he would be, with Sub–Commander Fuyutsuki sitting there in front of his desk. 'Shit, I guess that idea's out for now with the old man here.' Ritsuko thought. "Commander, you wanted to see me?" Ritsuko said in a serious tone, finishing her earlier statement.

"Yes, please have a seat, Dr. Akagi." Gendo said as Fuyutsuki rolled his eyes so only Gendo could see.

"What did you want to discuss, Commander?" Ritsuko asked.

"Well, Dr. Akagi." Fuyutsuki said. "Now that Rei has an actual Sync score, we'd like to set up an activation test for Unit–00. With Unit–02 being active, and the continued search for a pilot for Unit–01 by the Marduk Institute, we need to get this last Evangelion operational."

"Yes, we need to test the viability of Unit–00, and Rei's actual ability to sync with it. Unit–00, The Committee's plans won't come to fruition." Gendo added. 'Or my own machinations.' Gendo thought. "So it is the top priority of Project E to bring Unit–00 online, ahead of Unit–01." Gendo finished.

"But, Commander, with a few more weeks, I could get Unit–01 operational and have Rei pilot it instead, and then simply scrap Unit–00 and build a better Evangelion, one meant for combat." Ritsuko implored. 'Because my mother built it Unit–00, and I simply can't trust it…' Ritsuko finished in her head.

"No." Gendo said simply. "You have your orders, Dr. Akagi, now go and execute them. Dismissed."

"How long do I have to prepare Unit–00 for its activation test?" Ritsuko asked in a quiet fury.

"You have less than 72 hours to complete the work up on Unit–00 and have the test scheduled down in the test cage."

"Yes, sir." Ritsuko said harshly as she left the room and closed the door behind her. 'Three fucking days, he must be out of his mind. I'll have to talk to him later to see if he'll change his mind.' Ritsuko fumed as she went down to the cage to prepare Unit–00.

"So, you're not going to have sex with her then?" Fuyutsuki asked point blank. "Because that's what she assumed she was called in for."

"Ah, you noticed the hot pink panties in her lab coat pocket too." Gendo said.

"Did she really think we wouldn't notice? Pink can be seen through white quite easily." Fuyutsuki said with a chuckle. "You know, Ikari, it's almost sad how she throws herself at you." Fuyutsuki said in a more serious tone. "You'd better be careful, if she's anything like her mother, she may do something drastic if you cross her, hell she might even try to shoot you or something."

"Obviously she can never grow tired of being with me, but I am getting quite tired of her." Gendo said coolly. "Always wanting my love and affection, even though she doesn't deserve it. One can only fake love so much before it becomes noticeable. It's not sad, Professor, it's just downright pathetic."

"I said almost sad." Fuyutsuki replied coolly. "She still took over her mother's job without any qualms about what she was being asked to do. It makes her no better than her mother. Just remember to be careful around her, I bet if she becomes unhinged, there'll be no telling what she's capable of."

"Well, enough about the sow I'm forced to be indie of on a regular basis." Gendo said harshly. "I have a dinner with Rei to attend, so if you'll see yourself out, Fuyutsuki."

"Right away, Commander." Fuyutsuki said as he got up. "Just remember to keep up that encouraging attitude with Rei, the better off she is when she gets inside of Unit–00, the better." Fuyutsuki said as he left the room.

"I am more than aware that Rei will need to be happy to sync with her own soul, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said to Fuyutsuki's retreating figure. "A piece of the soul of Lilith broken off from herself, it should prove interesting to say the least." Gendo sat back in his chair. "Just the concept of Rei syncing with herself may be dangerous, but it's all for getting Yui back, so, whatever the damage, whatever the risk, it is acceptable."

–––

Gendo was sitting at a large table waiting patiently for someone. At exactly 7:00p, there was light knock on the door, followed by Rei entering the dining room.

"Good evening Rei." Gendo said as Rei came in for dinner.

"Good evening, Commandeer Ikari." Rei replied as she sat down.

"Did you have a good day, Rei?" Gendo asked.

"Yes, Commander." Rei replied. "I had an adequate day."

"Are you happy with today's sync results?" Gendo asked as he took a bite of his curry.

"Yes, Commander." Rei said as she dug into her tofu stir fry. "I am very pleased to have registered a synchronization score."

"I'm glad to hear you are pleased, Rei." Gendo said.

"Thank you, Commander." Rei replied quietly.

"Rei, there is something I want to tell you."

"What is it commander Ikari?" Rei asked.

"In three days' time, there will be an activation test from Unit–00." Gendo said. "Then we will test if your Evangelion functions properly."

"Very well, Commander." Rei replied quietly.

"Rei, is everything alright?" Gendo asked, in a concerned tone. "You seem less talkative than usual."

"It is just that…" Rei said as she trailed off. 'It is just that I feel I have failed you papa.' Rei thought. 'How can I tell you I have failed you when I cannot admit to myself?' Rei sighed. "Commander, I feel as though my failure to synchronize sooner has put your plans for preparing the Angels in jeopardy. I feel responsible for that."

"Rei, I told you before, this is not your fault. You are trying, and that trying paid off very well today. If you close yourself off from the world, you will never be able to sync with an Evangelion, you have to be receptive of the world for that to happen." Gendo said kindly. "But the issue was with the Evangelion, so as long as you are calm you will do well in all future tests, and eventually combat."

"Thank you for your kind words, Commander." Rei said politely. "I just don't feel I am the right choice to pilot…" Rei started, but was cut off by Gendo.

"Rei, no matter what Dr. Akagi may say to you or about you, doesn't mean you are not a capable pilot." Gendo said reassuringly. "We are all new to this business with Evangelions, it will take some time to improve, especially for the one sitting in the hot seat."

"But, Commander…" Rei said.

"No, buts Rei." Gendo said. "I know you can do this, so there is no need to be worried."

"Thank you Commander." Rei replied, smiling a bit. "I promise I will do my best."

"That's all I ever asked of you, Rei." Gendo said kindly. "I just want you to try your best and succeed."

With those words, Rei's face broke into a rare smile, something Gendo had not seen since Rei I had been alive, and he too smiled in response. And the two ate the rest of their dinner silently, both quite happier than they had been when they sat down.

* * *

June 10, 2015 – NERV HQ

The three bridge technicians, Ritsuko, Gendo and Fuyutsuki were all sitting or standing in the control room for the Test Cage. They were awaiting the final physical checks of the restraints on Unit–00 before staring the test.

Out in the Cage in front of them was a massive Evangelion, designated Unit–00. It was colored mostly orange, with only a few white highlights. On its forearms it was labeled as a "Prototype." Its head contained a single, red eye, with a greenish transparent lens on the top of its helmet, and no visible jaw, as was the case with Unit–02. Unit–00 was strapped to the wall by two very hefty looking braces attached it its bare shoulders, meant to hold the Evangelion if anything went wrong. The last few technicians were vacating the area ahead of the activation test, after giving all the restraint systems one last check.

"The maintenance team says all the lock bolts check out." Aoba said. "Unit–00 is completely secure."

"Good." Ritsuko said. "What's the status of the internal battery?" Ritsuko asked.

"Charged to just over 10%, ma'am." Hyuga relied. "If anything does go wrong, it should only have about 30 seconds of operational time, I will have the cable auto–eject set to live during the test in case anything does go wrong, we can cut power immediately."

"Roger." Ritsuko said. "Is Rei ready?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Maya replied. "Ms. Ayanami is ready to begin."

"Start the activation test." Ritsuko ordered. "With the Commander's permission."

"Begin." Gendo said simply, staring out at Unit–00 with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Yes sir." Maya replied. "Unit–00 initial activation test… ready to commence." Maya and Hyuga tapped a few keys on their consoles and brought up operational diagrams of Unit–00. "Unit–00 is secure in the cage… all lock bolts are engaged."

"Activate the Entry Plug." Ritsuko ordered.

"Connecting Entry Plug to Unit–00… primary connections have been established… connection complete." Hyuga reported.

"Battery power online… systems booting… flooding Entry Plug with LCL now." Maya said. "Connecting main power cable… waiting for power transmission… all circuits now transmitting at optimal power… main power now online… LCL fill process is now complete… establishing secondary connections… electrolyzing LCL… secondary connections established… A10 nerve connections online and nominal."

The Entry Plug lit up in a dazzling array of colors, then it was lit up further by a brilliant flash of light, followed by a rainbow of swirling color, Rei's eyes closed slightly at the drastic change in brightness. Finally more colors flashed on the walls of the Entry Plug around Rei until she could see the inside of the Test Cage displayed all around her.

"Configuring language logic interface for Japanese… all preliminary contacts have been established and are holding… performance is nominal… opening bi–directional circuits now…" Maya said. "Bi–directional circuits are now open… brain wave pattern and harmonics are normal… pilot life signs are optimal and steady… pilot synchronization ratio is at 15.1%… Evangelion Unit–00 is… online." Maya said with a note of surprise. "It's just over the 15% activation threshold ma'am. Can we continue the test?" Maya asked.

"I'll leave that up to the Commander." Ritsuko said, hiding her disappointment. "But I will leave the final decision up to the Commander." Ritsuko scratched her head. 'How did she improve her score that much in only a few days?'

"Go ahead, Lieutenant Ibuki." Gendo said.

"Yes, Commander… proceeding with safe–mode activation to check functionality… establishing nerve connections with the pilot now." Maya said. "Nerve connections are established through 1840… 1950… 2120… preparing for third stage connection… clear to 2580… 2670… 2880… counting down to absolute borderline in 120… 90… 70… 20… The pulses are flowing backwards!" Maya exclaimed in shock.

Unit–00 started tom move and sounded as though it were roaring as it struggled against its bonds holding it to the wall. Rei began to feel a presence around her as the EVA was not under her control.

"Something went wrong in the third stage!" Aoba shouted.

"There are no inputs from the pilot!" Hyuga shouted. "It's… acting independently of the pilot!"

Unit–00 continued to struggle against the braces holding it in place. Rei also became increasingly worried. 'What is happening? I cannot control the EVA… why can I not stop it from trying to move?' Rei thought. 'I have tried everything, yet it will not listen to my thoughts to stop… I have done all that Dr. Akagi has told me to do…'

Unit–00 kept trying to move and Rei heard a voice around her. " _That bitch, I see her now, it is her, and it's time for some payback!_ "

"Deactivate Unit–00!" Ritsuko ordered. "Sever nerve connections and close all the bi –directional circuits!"

Maya frantically tapped her control console. "It's not working, ma'am." Maya replied in a worried tone. "Unit–00 is rejecting the signals!"

Ritsuko looked directly out at the Evangelion struggling in front of her and it stared right back at her and the rest of them.

Unit–00's struggle against the wall restraints was slowly having an effect. The restraints were whining as though they may simply snap before they were pulled from the wall. The metal finally began to give way as the Evangelion struggled to reach out and accomplish a goal it had thought of for some time.

" _Akagi!_ " The voice around Rei shouted. " _I won't let you keep living for what you did to me! You don't deserve life after snuffing it out! After snapping my little neck!_ "

"Stop, whoever you are…" Rei said quietly. "Just stop, you will just end up getting us injured for no reason."

" _There is a reason Rei!_ " The voice shouted to Rei. " _She killed me and then looks at you with the same contempt she did to me, she must pay!_ "

Unit –00 in a fit of unbridled rage ripped the restraints holding it's shoulders right out of the wall with a proud roar, followed by the restraints holding its forearms in place.

" _You fucking whore, I'll kill you like you killed me!_ " The voice in Rei's head shouted. " _Hag! YOU FUCKING HAG! I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S THE FUCKING LITTLE BITCH!_ "

"Unit–00 is free from its restraints!" Maya shouted. "It's out of control."

"Abort the experiment, cut off the power supply." Gendo ordered.

"Ejecting power supply!" Hyuga shouted in response as he hit the button next to him. The large power cord attached to Unit–00 fired its ejection rockets, and clattered loudly to the floor of the Test Cage. "45 seconds of battery power remaining!"

Unit–00 struggled forward, holding its head as though it were in pain. Inside the Entry Plug, a similar struggle was going on between the pilot and the voice.

"Stop it… you will injure Commander Ikari!" Rei said loudly as she fastened her safety restraints securely.

" _But that bitch has to pay!_ " The voice yelled. " _She will pay with her life!_ "

Unit–00 threw a punch at the observation window where Gendo was standing. It cracked the glass and dented the armor plating surrounding the window frame.

" _AKAGI!_ " The voice screamed, heard only by an increasingly frightened Rei.

"Watch out!" Ritsuko shouted as the window in front of them buckled from the repeated punches from Unit–00. "It's gone… berserk!"

Unit–00 kept throwing punches at the observation window, where it continued to buckle under the massive power behind the fists. The thick glass began to shatter off with each punch, until it shattered sending thick shards of glass as shrapnel around at everyone in the room.

"Stop it now! That is an order Unit–00!" Rei said angrily.

" _SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU!_ " The voice shouted at Rei. " _This will shut you up!_ "

The armor plate covering the where the Entry Plug was situated was released with explosive bolts.

May was looking at her monitor. "Auto ejection system has been activated!" Maya said.

"Damn it!" Gendo shouted. "Abort the sequence!"

"No response, Unit–00 is activating the sequence itself!" Maya said.

"All signals to Unit–00 have been severed, it's not listening to us anymore!" Hyuga exclaimed.

The Entry Plug was unscrewed, then its escape rockets fired, sending it careening into the ceiling of the Test Cage. It then skidded along the ceiling to the back wall where it was violently sent into the furthest corner of the room, sending sparks up along the way as it grinded against the metal surface of the walls. The ejection rockets kept the Entry Plug in place, slowly rotating in place on the wall.

"AHHHHH!" Rei screamed from inside the Entry Plug, but no one could hear her as she was flung around against the safety restraints in the pilot's seat as it slammed into the wall and spun around, leaving Rei feeling ill and in a lot of pain.

Unit–00 after forcing Rei out, was now struggling to stay upright, and was also running out of power. " _I just want to kill Akagi! She doesn't deserve to live!_ " The voice shouted to no one, as the struggling Evangelion gave another audible roar as it clutched its head in pain.

"Ten seconds of power remaining!" Hyuga said.

"Start the Bakelite suppression system, now!" Ritsuko ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Maya replied.

The Entry Plug's ejection rockets ran out of fuel, and it stopped spinning ad then began a fast decent to floor below. Gendo was watching the whole scene unfold in horror.

"REI!" Gendo shouted.

As the Entry Plug clattered roughly to the ground, the Bakelite suppression system activated and sprayed burgundy liquid at Unit–00 to attempt to restrain the berserk Evangelion. Unit–00 began to wildly punch the wall in response to the threat against it as its power ran out.

"Power offline in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… ZERO!" Hyuga said. "Unit –00 is offline!"

Unit–00 now stood still and silent, slumped slightly against its outstretched right arm, which had embedded its fist into the wall just as its power ran out. The Bakelite had formed around its legs and lower thighs, and was forming a solid burgundy mountain around it, holding it in place. The destroyed restraints lay scattered on the floor, with the Entry Plug off in the corner.

As the power down was called out, Gendo rushed down to the Entry Plug sitting on the edge of the Bakelite used to restrain the berserk Evangelion. Gendo ran up to the side of the Entry Plug where an emergency hatch was and reached for the butterfly handles, splashing though ejected LCL as he did so.

Gendo grasped the handles and pulled. "ARRGGHH!" he screamed as he instinctively let go of the handles as he felt the skin on his palms sear like bacon in a frying pan. Gendo reached back for the handles and pulled again, working through the pain and his skin continued to burn under the heat. His glasses fell of his face with the great effort he was exerting and fell in the boiling hot LCL, warping and cracking under the heat. Gendo finally forced the latch counter–clockwise to open it, and with great effort was able to spin the handles the 180° to do so. Once they reached the open position, the hatch hissed releasing a cloud of steam and finally allowed Gendo inside.

Rei was slumped over, unconscious in her seat. Gendo could see Rei was injured quite severely. There was blood in her hair, streaking the pale blue with crimson red. Her restraints had torn free, which had torn her plugsuit in a few places, and left her bleeding from those wounds as well. What worried Gendo the most was that Rei was not moving.

"REI?!" Gendo shouted, to no response. "Rei, are you alright?!"

Rei slowly and weakly lifted her head, her face covered in blood, with some getting in her right eye. She spoke in an almost inaudible whisper. "Yes… sir…"

"I see…" Gendo said happily, with a single tear running down his face. "I'm glad to hear that, Rei…"

Rei's head drooped again as he spoke and her breathing became labored. 'Why is the Commander crying?' Rei thought. 'Is he crying over… me?'

Gendo poked his back out of the Entry Plug and shouted towards the control room. "GET A MEDICAL TEAM DOWN HERE IMMEDIATELY!"

Gendo then clambered awkwardly back inside, and tried to help Rei out of the Entry Plug. "Let's get you out of here, Rei." Gendo said as he gently put his arm around her back to help her up. "Can you move Rei?" Gendo asked as Rei cried out in immense pain. She shook her head slightly. "Alright, just hold on a moment Rei, I'll carry you out." Gendo wrapped his right arm behind her back, and his left arm under her legs. He gingerly picked her up and moved her to the hatch. He turned sideways and crouched down to get the two of them through safely.

Gendo was able to safely exit the Entry Plug, but his slipped in the LCL and he lost his balance and fell hard on the ground, with Rei falling on top of him with a shriek cry of pain. Gendo passed out from the pain of the landing and the concussion he received.

Rei however lay conscious facing her Entry Plug, looking at a warped pair of glasses. 'The Commander's glasses…' Rei thought as she reached out her less injured arm to retrieve them. They still felt warm in her hands. 'I will make sure the Commander gets these back… he must have lost them… saving me…' Rei held the warm glasses tightly in her injured hand. 'But why would he Commander save me? I am… replaceable…' Rei thought as she slumped over into unconsciousness as the emergency medical team rushed into the Test Cage to attend the two people lying unconscious on the floor.

* * *

June 30, 2015 – NERV HQ, Medical Wing

It had been 20 days since the activation test with Unit–00, and Rei was still in a coma. After falling unconscious, she simply could not be woken up. Her brain and body acted as though they were in stasis, her pulse was so low, they could barely detect it, and her blood pressure was almost zero, but medically it was the safest thing or her, that way her body could rest and heal, and all it would take is time.

They hadn't even been able to remove her plugsuit without the risk of injuring her fragile body even more. The doctors described her condition still as critical, because of the severe whiplash she suffered, her internal organs were bruised, almost half her bones were either fractured or broken, and to top it off, her brain was swollen from the severe concussion she received from the hydrostatic shock caused by the LCL and the Entry Plug slamming into the ceiling.

Rei was on life support, as without her brain functioning properly, she could not breathe on her own. She had several IVs for pain medication, and for nutrients so that she wouldn't starve.

Unbeknownst to anyone else, when visiting hours in the Medical Ward were over for the day, Gendo came to sit with Rei, for the guilt he felt over putting her inside such a dangerous machine, and his sorrow for almost losing her a third time. Tonight was no different, as Gendo would be at her bedside instead of sleeping, like he should be, and once again, he was trying to tell her he was sorry, but simply could not say the word.

"Rei, I wish you hadn't have been injured." Gendo said sorrowfully to Rei's unconscious form. "I should never have put you in that position, but I had no other choice, it was either someone I trusted in there, or… an unknown quantity. Please understand Rei, I… regret that you got hurt, and I feel as though it's my fault. It is my fault… Rei, please wake up…"

Rei lay still, her breathing machine humming in the background as her chest rose and fell with the hum. Her heart monitor beeping almost too slowly. Gendo looked over and saw his old glasses sitting on her side table, still wondering how they had ended up in her hand. He felt his own hands through the white gloves he was wearing, as he did, he felt the mottled and bumpy skin that had been burned away while opening the Entry Plug's hatch. He looked back over at Rei. "Why won't you wake up?" Gendo asked. "You can't leave me Yui, not again, I couldn't take it if you left me again…"

Inside her head, however, Rei was not unconscious. She was sitting on a train car, alone as an endless landscape kept going past outside.

'The last thing I remember is holding the Commander's glasses, and then I found myself here…' Rei thought as she looked at the scenery pass by outside. 'Why am I here? Am I dead? Is this what they call… heaven?'

" _You're not dead._ " A voice said to Rei, and one she was familiar with.

"How do you know that?" Rei asked the voice.

" _Because, if you were dead, there would be nothing…_ " The voice replied.

"How do you know that?" Rei asked. "Have you… died?"

" _Yes, I died at the hands of some jealous bitch._ " The voice said. " _All I did was tell the truth like my papa told me to, and I ended up dead on the floor, with a fate worse than death… trapped forever, inside some dammed machine, unable to get away…_ "

'The voice… died?' Rei thought as she put her head down. 'And now it's trapped inside something? How very… unfortunate.' Rei kept sitting there in silence, trying to think. 'This voice does sound familiar… like the one I heard during the test… inside of Unit–00… does that mean the EVA has a soul?' Rei thought, slowly thinking everything through. 'If I was not to blame for being unable to sync with the EVA… than it must have been the soul's fault. But what soul would I be compatible with? I am replace…' Rei's thinking paused as she came to a sudden realization. 'I am syncing with myself… the first "Rei Ayanami" her soul is the one I heard… the one who wanted to kill Dr. Akagi…' Rei looked up and addressed the voice. "Are you… me?" Rei asked. "Are you the me who is inside the Evangelion?"

" _No you are me._ " The voice said. " _I came before you, so you are copying me! I am the first Rei Ayanami!_ " The voice laughed. " _But you're right, I am trapped in that Evangelion._ "

A young girl suddenly appeared I front of Rei with crimson eyes and pale blue hair. She looked exactly like Rei but several years younger. She had an angry scowl on her face and she walked up to Rei and slapped across the face.

"What is wrong?" Rei asked. "I see no reason for such violence at this moment."

" _You interfered with me trying to kill that bitch!_ " Rei I shouted. " _I just wanted to pay her back for breaking my neck!_ "

"You were attacking the wrong Dr. Akagi." Rei said quietly.

" _There is only one Dr. Naoko Akagi, Rei!_ " Rei I shouted. " _And she deserves to die!_ "

"But you were attempting to harm Dr. _Ritsuko_ Akagi." Rei replied. "The Dr. Akagi you are searching for to avenge our death killed herself." Rei explained. "Commander Ikari had the photos on his desk, and the audio from Central Dogma as well. I happened to see them one day while I was in there waiting for him…"

**Flashback**

**'What… what have I done?' Naoko thought, looking at the disgusted look on Ritsuko's face and Rei's limp body at her feet. "WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" Naoko shouted.**

**Naoko looked over to the MAGI and realized what she had to do. She took a few steps back and then started running towards MAGI Casper as Ritsuko shouted something. She leaped from the command tower and fell head first towards MAGI Casper. Her skull impacted and her neck snapped as she caught the edge of the Casper's casing. As she fell to the floor, she left a streak of crimson blood and pieces of grey matter and skull behind marking her body's final path to the floor. As the blood pooled around her, Gendo and Fuyutsuki ran into the room from one side and Ritsuko entered the room from the other. They looked from Rei's body and then saw her blood trail on the MAGI.**

**End Flashback**

" _So, the stupid bitch offered herself instead of facing pap, did she. What a coward…_ " Rei I sneered, then she looked at Rei and shoved her. Rei lost her balance from the sudden unexpected shock of being pushed and fell over on the bench. " _And it was not "_ our _" death Rei! I died, you were born afterwards._ " Rei I shouted again. " _Rei Ayanami the First died that day, and soon after Rei Ayanami the Second was born into the world! I don't exist anymore. I don't get to live the life I wanted to live. I don't get to see papa anymore, and I don't get to hold my Mew!_ "

'She is right.' Rei thought as she righted herself. 'She died that day and her existence ceased. She has every right to be angry… but I remember that day so clearly, my death… her death… our death… the lines have been quite blurred…' Rei looked at Rei I. "I remember the day you died though. I used to have nightmares until Dr. Akagi gave me some medicine to suppress my dreams. I'd wake up screaming thinking my neck had been broken, clutching it and grasping for air. I was so… afraid…"

"You should have been." Rei I said. " _It wasn't exactly a picnic feeling it, and I still remember it every now and again too…_ "

"But repeating that memory seemed worse every time it happened." Rei said quietly.

" _That is true._ " Rei I said. " _But I guess it's something we both have to live with…_ "

Rei gave Rei I a puzzled look as she kept thinking over what Rei I had said. "What is… a Mew?" Rei asked.

" _What?_ " Rei I asked.

"What is a Mew." Rei asked again. "You said you don't get to hold your Mew. What did you mean? What is a Mew?"

" _It's a plushie of a Pokémon that papa bought for me!_ " Rei I exclaimed. " _Don't you still have it?_ " Rei I asked angrily.

"Is it a pinkish color… and it looks like a… cat?" Rei asked hopefully, thinking of the doll that sat above her head in her room.

" _Yes, you still have it?_ " Rei I asked. " _It didn't get thrown out did it?_ "

"Now, it is above my bed…" Rei said. "I can show it to you if you'd like."

" _No, just keep it in your room, and hold it for me._ " Rei I asked, finally calming down.

"May I ask you a favor in return?" Rei asked.

" _Anything if you keep my Mew safe…_ " Rei I replied.

"Can you please let me pilot the Evangelion without any further incident?" Rei asked.

" _I guess that shouldn't be a problem._ " Rei I said happily. " _But just remember, if things start to go downhill, try to keep us both from dying again?_ "

"I should be able to accomplish that task without much… difficulty." Rei replied. "I want to make the Commander proud…"

" _Good, because I think it's time for you to wake up, Rei._ " Rei I said as Rei heard a loud passing train whistle and her eyes opened to reveal the ceiling in the Medical Wing of NERV above her.

Rei felt the intubation tube going down her throat and she weakly lifted her arms and removed the tape from around her lips. Rei took a deep breath through her nose and pulled the tube out as quickly as she could, crying out in pain after moving her arms too fast.

"I'm… alive." Rei said softly. She looked over to see the sleeping form of Gendo sitting beside her. "He does care… even if I'm not the Rei he loved as a child… he views me as someone to be concerned about… even though I'm replaceable."

Gendo was half asleep in the chair next to Rei's bed. He heard a faint sound come from Rei's bed, and heard he monitors pick up on the beeping they made and woke with a start. He looked over to see her crimson eyes looking back at him. "Rei!" Gendo exclaimed. "You're awake!"

"Yes, Commander… I am felling… much better." Rei said quietly as she tried to move, but Gendo jumped up and stopped her.

"No, Rei, it's best for you to lie still." Gendo said caringly. "You're still very hurt from the accident. I don't want you to injure yourself more."

"Commander…" Rei said in hushed tone, as it still hurt to talk. "When can I pilot Unit–00 again?" Rei coughed a bit. 'It's my sole purpose in life, and I'd like to pilot again, papa.' Rei thought to herself.

"You still want to pilot, Rei? You don't have to if you don't want to." Gendo asked. 'I'm surprised she still wants to pilot. She has no fear…' Gendo cleared his throat. "As soon as you're healed up, and we fix the issues with Unit–00, you can pilot again if you want." Gendo said, smiling slightly.

"I don't think it will be a problem in the future, sir." Rei replied quietly.

"Why is that?" Gendo asked.

"I won't let it take control again…" Rei replied seriously. "I am the pilot… it will listen to what I tell it to do."

* * *

July 2, 2015 – NERV HQ

Gendo was standing in the observation room of Cage #7 staring out on the workers outside hurrying around to complete the Evangelion situated out there. The purple colored Evangelion Unit–01. It had its neon green highlights on the unique shoulder pylons, and forearms, its unique pectoral armor, and neon orange detailing on its neck, along with the massive horn on its head, which no other Evangelion would have. It was simply staring back at the two men watching it.

Gendo looked out to Unit–01 and was talking quietly to it through the glass. "Yui, I had painted purple for you. I know it's your favorite color." Gendo said in a hushed tone. "I know it doesn't really make up for what's happened, but I do hope it makes things better. I just want things to get back on track. I just want to get you back, Yui."

Unbeknownst to Gendo, Fuyutsuki had just walked in. He closed the door quietly behind him, and took his usual spot on Gendo's right side. Gendo continued talking to Unit–01 without realizing he was no longer alone.

"Yui, it's almost time." Gendo said quietly. "He'll be here soon."

"Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked. "Who are you talking to? And who are you taking about?"

"To Yui, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said. "She's in there. I know she is, so I talk to her that way when she comes back after my plan is compete, she won't have missed anything."

"Except 11 years of her life, Ikari." Fuyutsuki said.

"At least she will be back." Gendo replied tersely. "That is all that matters."

Fuyutsuki sighed. "It doesn't matter that you talk to Unit–01. Yui is in there, so you're not wrong, I'm just not sure how much she can process from inside the Core." Fuyutsuki said.

"She's a smart woman, I'm sure she can listen in if she wants to." Gendo said hopefully. "That way she knows I've tried to get her back, and that I haven't given up…"

"Ikari, the self–pity really isn't you." Fuyutsuki said sternly.

"You are correct, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said. "Sometimes the façade must fall in order for the man to be his true self, even for a few moments."

"Alright Ikari, who were talking about being here soon?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Fuyutsuki, Unit–01 is almost ready for combat." Gendo said. "I was simply stating it's time we get its pilot to be _discovered_ by the Marduk Institute. That way my plans can move ahead on schedule."

"The Third Child?" Fuyutsuki asked. "Are you sure it's time?"

"Yes, Fuyutsuki, its time." Gendo said. "According to Keel, in two weeks' time the Third Angel will be attacking, I want him here for that day. The day where he will pilot and kill the Angel. The day he will be triumphant."

"He's had no training, Ikari!" Fuyutsuki said. "He would be in grave danger! He could die!"

"Fuyutsuki, we could all die." Gendo said. "Shinji is no different. He will be fine. He is a survivor."

"So you think." Fuyutsuki said. "Didn't he run away from the cemetery three years ago?"

"He did, but he came with a simple note expecting me to take him in again." Gendo said. "He will come back again."

"What if he doesn't want to pilot, Ikari, have you thought of that?" Fuyutsuki said. "Even if he could pilot Unit–01 without any training, he's not as obedient as Rei from what I'm told by Jushiro, passive yes, but not obedient, and he hasn't been training for this since he was little like Asuka, who was told years ago she would pilot Unit–02. He could refuse you."

"He won't refuse, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said calmly. "I will leave Shinji no choice but to get in the fucking Evangelion."

"Ikari, if you're sure, I'll set up the report to be released in five days." Fuyutsuki said. "That will allow me plenty of time to send a letter to Jushiro explaining that Shinji needs to come back now, and then he can prep Shinji to come here."

"No letter Fuyutsuki, just deal with the Marduk Report on the Third Child and deliver it to Ritsuko. I will send a letter to Shinji directly." Gendo said proudly. "Something else I want you to do is let our agent in Berlin know his plan is a go on the night of August 10th, and that the cargo leaves on the August 11th. They will be due into New Yokosuka on the 30th."

"I'll let the Chief Inspector know of his promotion as well." Fuyutsuki said.

"Good, now go and take care of those things for me, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said.

"Yes, Commander." Fuyutsuki said as he left the room.

"It's time to bring my son back home to Tokyo–3." Gendo said while staring out at Unit–01's blank eyes. "And to his waiting mother."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Asuka – 34.1% (+0.4%)  
Rei – 15.1% (New)  
Shinji – N/A  
Mari – N/A

I hope you have all noticed the sync score segment of the A/N. I will be updating that with the top scores from each chapter, whether done on or off the page (or screen, or whatever) and keep track of who is doing how well.

Now, why did Rei wait till after Asuka to sync to her EVA? Simply because it took her seven months (Mentioned in the Episode 1 of the anime) to even register on the sync chart, so the test shown in the first part of the chapter is the first successful sync test she has, and even at the low score she started at, she'll have lots of improvement as the story goes on. Even her sync score when Unit–00 was tested improved, which is why it went berserk, her score was high enough to trigger an activation (and berserk state) of the finicky Unit–00.

Now, the personal hell train car and berserk scene were essential. As after the berserk incident, Rei was able to control Unit–00 without further berserk episodes. So, I figure, Rei II and Rei I had a talk in the Personal Hell Traincar and came to an understanding so they wouldn't end up dying in a fight if the EVA is deployed into battle (which does happen), so this gives Rei the ability to sync with herself and control the EVA better just like Shinji and Asuka can with their respective mothers.

As for Gendo and Fuyutsuki planning to bring a certain person to Tokyo–3, the next chapter will detail what leads him to come home. That and I couldn't resist adding in Gendo's line about how to get Shinji inside the EVA, or how long Asuka and Unit–02's journey from Hamburg to New Yokosuka will take (19 days–ish, used an online calculator putting them through the Suez Canal, quickest and shortest route possible). Shinji of course will meet her (again) the day before they arrive, in typical fashion.

Also to note, Gendo will not be the only one talking to an Evangelion, that will be a minor running theme in the story, especially for those who actually know _who_ is inside the cores of these things.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	3. Awaiting Destiny

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode IV: The Last Hope

* * *

Chapter 3 – Awaiting Destiny  
July 10, 2015 – Atsugi, Japan

Shinji was sitting in class not really paying attention to the lecture, as usual. The kids around him, even after a decade, still teased him for being a quiet recluse with no friends. Sometimes quietly whispering, and other times confronting him directly. He was used to being bullied, and it had built a hard, sarcastic and passive aggressive shell around him.

'It's not like I want to be their friends, if I ever try to get close to someone, they'll just end up hurting me.' Shinji thought as he quietly put in his earphones and turned up his SDAT to drown out those around him, as usual. 'All people ever want to do is hurt me…'

**♪I watch how the**   
**Moon sits in the sky in the dark night**   
**Shining with the light from the sun**   
**And the sun doesn't give light to the moon assuming**   
**The moon's going to owe it one**   
**It makes me think of how you act to me**   
**You do**   
**Favors and then rapidly**   
**You just**   
**Turn around and start asking me about**   
**Things you want back from me**   
**I'm sick of the tension, sick of the hunger**   
**Sick of you acting like I owe you this**   
**Find another place to feed your greed**   
**While I find a place to rest**   
**I want to be in another place**   
**I hate when you say you don't understand**   
**(You'll see it's not meant to be)**   
**I want to be in the energy, not with the enemy**   
**A place for my head**   
**Maybe someday I'll be just like you and**   
**Step on people like you do and**   
**Run away the people I thought I knew**   
**I remember back then who you were**   
**You used to be calm used to be strong**   
**Used to be generous but you should've known**   
**That you'd**   
**Wear out your welcome now you see**   
**How quiet it is all alone**   
**I'm so**   
**Sick of the tension, sick of the hunger**   
**Sick of you acting like I owe you this**   
**Find another place to feed your greed**   
**While I find a place to rest**   
**I'm so**   
**Sick of the tension, sick of the hunger**   
**Sick of you acting like I owe you this**   
**Find another place to feed your greed**   
**While I find a place to rest**

**I want to be in another place**   
**I hate when you say you don't understand**   
**(You'll see it's not meant to be)**   
**I want to be in the energy, not with the enemy**   
**A place for my head**

**You try to take the best of me**   
**Go away**   
**You try to take the best of me**   
**Go away**   
**You try to take the best of me**   
**Go away**   
**You try to take the best of me**   
**Go away**   
**You try to take the best of me**   
**Go away**   
**You try to take the best of me**   
**Go away**   
**You try to take the best of me**   
**Go away**   
**You try to take the best of me**   
**Go away**

**I want to be in another place**   
**I hate when you say you don't understand**   
**(You'll see it's not meant to be)**   
**I want to be in the energy, not with the enemy**   
**A place for my head**

**Shut up**

**I'm so sick of the tension, sick of the hunger**   
**Sick of you acting like I owe you this**   
**Find another place to feed your greed**   
**While I find a place to rest**

**I'm so sick of the tension, sick of the hunger**   
**Sick of you acting like I owe you this**   
**Find another place, to feed your greed**   
**While I find a place to rest♪**

Shinji, having his eyes closed didn't see two of the people in his class walk up to him. The teacher had stepped out of the room, so no one would stop whatever they were going to do. They were trying to say something to Shinji, but he wasn't paying attention. So as the tracks were changing, one of the boys ripped the earbuds from his ears.

"What's the freak listening to today." Hayato asked putting the earbuds up to his ears. "God, what kind of shitty ass music do you listen to? Are you some kind of fucking loser?"

"Well, he _is_ a fucking loser because he has no friends." Kou, Hayato's partner in crime said rudely. "He's just some freak who can't be around anyone, hell his father might kill them accidently if he gets too close."

Shinji's fists clenched, but otherwise he stayed calm and resolute. "Just give me back my earphones and go away. No one cares what you two morons think." Shinji said quietly.

"What did you call us?" Kou asked angrily.

"Morons." Shinji said. "I guess I was right, because you didn't understand me the first time. Now please just leave me alone."

The entire class was paying attention to the fight now, but no one did anything, left they draw the ire of the two obnoxious bullies.

"Hey, look at this tough guy. He never ever speaks, and when he does, he's just insulting. This freak's father killed his mother, and he thinks he can act like some sort of arrogant ass who thinks he's better than us." Hayato said angrily, throwing Shinji's SDAT across the room. "He thinks we'll just leave him alone if he asks nicely. Well, your words are no Wall of Jericho, freak."

"Hayato, the Walls of Jericho fell…" Kou whispered quietly.

"He doesn't know that, he doesn't pay attention in class." Hayato whispered back.

Shinji continued to shake with rage, but kept himself calm. "Whatever." Shinji said. "Is it too much to ask to simply be left alone? What did I ever do to you?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah it is too much to ask, freak." Hayato said, shoving Shinji in his chair. "I don't like being called a moron, or being ignored by someone who thinks he's better than me."

"I don't think I'm better than you." Shinji said. "I just want to be left alone by people who are rude and inconsiderate of others."

"Why you little shit." Hayato said. "Kou, hold him down."

Kou came up behind Shinji and grabbed his arms. "Hold still now, freak." Kou said, gripping Shinji's arms tightly. "It'll hurt more if you struggle."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want you to get to high and mighty on us." Hayato said. "So, I'm going to take you down a few pegs."

Hayato landed several heavy punches to Shinji's gut and face. Shinji didn't respond at all, not letting out a single sound of pain or anguish, and simply taking the beating.

'It's always the same with these two. They get offended because I won't talk to them, then they hit me, and then they get bored.' Shinji thought. 'If I just stay quiet and don't cry out then they'll just go away and leave me alone like always.'

The class watched, not doing a thing to stop that attack, and simply watched quietly. After a few minutes, Hayato relented his attack and Kou let Shinji go and shoved him to the ground. Hayato landed a kick to Shinji's gut.

"What a punk, he didn't even cry out for his mommy." Kou said.

"Yeah, he never cries out when we do this." Hayato said. "Freak."

The teacher walked back into the room as Shinji was struggling to his feet. Shinji collected his SDAT and went back to his desk unnoticed by anyone.

'Why does everyone just watch?' Shinji thought angrily. 'Are they so afraid of those two that no one will even try to say what they're doing is wrong? I know I can't fight them alone, I'd just get even more hurt, but if people got together to fight, they could make a difference, a real difference.' Shinji sighed as he looked at the SDAT. 'Good, it's not damaged, I don't think I could deal with this hell hole if it got broken.' Shinji looked around him. 'If I ever got a chance to go somewhere else I would. I hate it here, these people are awful, Jushiro is fine, but everyone else judges me on what they think they know of my father. How can they know him if they've never met him. I just doesn't make any sense.' Shinji pressed his stomach to see how hurt he was. 'Well, I'm not going to die today. I just wish I wasn't being punished for the sins of my father.'

Just before the end of the day, the teacher began to hand back last week's assignments. He always handed back the work himself, as he didn't want other students snooping on other's grades. He did it silently so no one would have an indication of what anyone got, but he would write the grade and any comments on the last page to keep it as hidden as possible.

Shinji's paper was put on his desk, and Shinji flipped to the last page. He was given a zero on the paper he had to write about where he saw himself in the future. There was also a not underneath the zero. The note said. " _See me after class, Ikari. This is unacceptable._ "

'Typical bullshit.' Shinji thought as he shoved the paper in his bag. 'Can this day get any worse?'

–––

The teacher sat across from Shinji looking quite angry. "Do you know why I gave you a failing grade on this essay?" He asked.

"Not entirely." Shinji replied. "I did as I was instructed and gave you my view of the future of my life. Nothing more, nothing less."

"You didn't take the assignment seriously, Ikari." The teacher said gruffly. "How will anyone take you seriously if you don't take yourself seriously?"

"I did take the assignment seriously, sir." Shinji said coolly. "That's all I could think to write, so that's all I wrote. I don't see the big issue here, and I don't believe I should be punished for voicing my opinion."

"So, you're getting mouthy, eh?" The teacher said. "Be that way Ikari, no one will ever find you in some high powered job. You'll be nothing, Ikari, with that blasé attitude towards your future."

"So, why did you have me see you after class?" Shinji asked. "So you could berate me on my paper, or to tell me how to improve my grade?"

"There is no chance to improve your grade on this paper, Ikari." The teacher said. "I just wanted to set you straight that I will not accept subpar work like that."

"It was an opinion paper, sir." Shinji said angrily. "So I'm still not quite sure how exactly I was given a poor grade, considering there is _no wrong answer_ on an opinion paper. I followed the assignment, and gave _my opinion_ on _my future_." Shinji stood up and grabbed his bag. "Seeing as there isn't much else to discuss, I have somewhere to be, sir."

"You've got some nerve, Ikari." The teacher replied. "If you leave I swear…"

"What?" Shinji asked. "You've already given me a zero, sir, what else can you do?" Shinji said as he left the room.

–––

'Typical bullshit, everyone always thinks I don't apply myself.' Shinji thought as he got nearer to his house. 'Why even bother with school if that's what I have to deal with, ignorant bullies, and arrogant teachers.'

Shinji got home, and fumbled in his pocket for the keys to Jushiro's house.

"Tadaima…" Shinji said sullenly as he walked in. There was no reply. He picked up the mail off the floor and looked around "Sensei, are you home?" Shinji called out.

Shinji looked around the house and found that Jushiro was gone and had left a note.

" _Shinji, I'll be out of town until the 12th on business, I'll see you when I get back. Jushiro._ "

So, Shinji tossed the mail onto the table and looked through it quickly. "Junk… bill… bill… junk… grocery store flyer… letter for sensei… sensei… Shinji… sensei… Shinji?" Shinji said realized he'd flipped by his own mail in the daze from his day.

"Why is there a letter addressed to me? The only mail I get is from school. Unless…" Shinji said as he looked for the envelope. It was addressed to him, and was postmarked Tokyo–3. "Father…"

Shinji tore open the envelope and opened the letter. There was a swipe card and a train ticket attached to the page by a paperclip. The card read "NERV Temporary Security I.D. Card" and had his name printed on it. The ticket was listed as a special government train leaving from Atsugi Station on August 15th at 9:00a and arriving in Tokyo–3 at 10:00a. The note itself was mostly blocked out text, colored over by a thick, black Sharpie, as it still smelled acrid. There were three words on the page Shinji could read, all handwritten in the same black Sharpie. " _Come. Gendo Ikari._ "

"Father… after all this time… you can't even say something more meaningful?!" Shinji said, shaking with rage. "I have to put up with all the shit people say and think about you and get picked on for it, and all you can say is _come_ , like I'm a fucking dog!" Shinji shouted at the refrigerator. "Fuck you and whatever you want father, I'd rather die than have to deal with you anymore! You never ask how I am, and just expect me to come to Tokyo–3 on your whim?!" Shinji shouted as he threw the ticket and the swipe card at the wall. "Fuck you, father!" Shinji tore the letter into 16 pieces.

Shinji threw the pieces of the note on the ground and went to room in a huff. 'Today was one of the worst I've had in a while.' Shinji said as he plopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. 'Worse than that day in the cemetery, but not as bad as the day I was left here, or the day mother died…' Shinji thought.

Shinji tried desperately to go to sleep, but it wouldn't come, so he put on his SDAT player and set it to Track 25. "I hate you father." Shinji said as the music started playing.

* * *

July 11, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Misato had asked for an earlier transport to drop her in Tokyo–3 a day before she was supposed to report for duty. So, her car, a few bags, and Pen –Pen were loaded into a C–130 and flown from the United States to Japan via the Pacific Ocean.

The plane had landed a few hours ago in Tokyo–2, and Misato was speeding as fast as she could to Tokyo–3 in her blue Alpine. On the seat next to Pen–Pen was a folder with the name "Shinji Ikari" written on the tab. 'So, I have to pick up that little one in a few days… I'm glad I decided to come here early. How will he know who to look for though?' Misato thought as she sped along the road.

Misato's phone beeped, and she saw an e–mail. 'Great, my stuff got here before I did, I hope I'm not too late. I need to sign for everything…' Misato thought as she saw the citadel city show up in front of her. 'Thank whatever, I'm here, now I just need to find that apartment complex.'

Misato was driving like a madman through Tokyo–3 towards the outer edge of city in her typical fashion. Pen–Pen was seated next to her and was covering his eyes with his flippers and squeaking quietly, hoping that they would get to their destination in one piece.

Misato saw a large yellow truck parked in front of the apartment, which she recognized from her search online. 'Great they're already here…' Misato thought as she drifted into the packing lot.

She screeched to a halt, drifting into one of the spots opposite a DHL truck that was unloading a small mountain of moving boxes and furniture. Misato had arrived just in time to let them into the apartment.

Misato got out of the car and stood up, wearing a yellow t–shirt and blue cut–off shorts. Pen–Pen opened his door and waddled out into the heat. Misato walked over to the three men unloading boxes from the truck.

"Hello there!" Misato said happily. "I'm Misato Katsuragi, I believe this is all my stuff!"

"Could we see some I.D. miss?" The mover asked.

"Sure!" Misato said pulling out her NERV I.D. card.

"Everything checks out, Captain." The mover said. "Where would you like the boxes and furniture put? Anywhere in particular, or just inside the apartment?"

"I'll point it all out for you in just a minute, but could you do me a favor first?"

"Uh… sure." The mover said.

"Do you mind taking a picture for me, I need to mail it off to someone." Misato asked, handing him a camera.

"Sure, miss." The mover said.

Misato leaned over winked, and put up a peace sign, making sure her boobs would focus heavily in the shot. "I'm ready!" Misato said happily.

"Alright, say cheese…" The mover said.

"Cheese!" Misato said as the camera shutter snapped. Misato straightened up. "Thank you!" She said happily.

"You're quite welcome." The mover said. "Now, about all this stuff…"

"Oh, right, uh let me show you." Misato said as she grabbed the apartment key from her pocket. "Come on Pen–Pen!"

"Wark!" Pen–Pen squawked obediently.

A few hours later, Misato came back to the apartment with about a dozen bags of food in her hands, with Pen–Pen sitting angrily by the door. The movers had put all the furniture in place, including the specialized fridge for Pen–Pen. However the reason Pen–Pen was waiting angrily at the door was because Misato, in her haste to go out for food, forgot to plug in his room. As Misato came inside, Pen–Pen assaulted her.

"WARK! WARK, WARK!" Pen–Pen squawked loudly.

"What?" Misato asked. "Is something on fire?"

"WARK, WARK!" Pen–Pen squawked loudly as he ran over to his fridge. "WARK!" Pen–Pen squawked as he pointed at the fridge, and as he poked the button to open the door, nothing happened.

"Oh…" Misato said as she put her purchases down. "I'm sorry Pen–Pen, I forgot to plug in your fridge."

"WARK!" Pen–Pen squawked accusingly.

"Alright, give me a second." Misato said putting her bags down and reaching behind his fridge to plug it in. The fridge groaned to life as its compressors turned on.

"Wark!" Pen–Pen said as he went inside.

"I said I was sorry…" Misato said. "Damn penguin, always whining." Misato said as she picked up her bags and opened her own fridge and began stacking Yebisu and instant food inside. "Great, I won't be able to have any beer until its cold. This blows." Misato said angrily.

Misato plopped down on her couch and yawned loudly picking up the photo she had printed while she was out shopping. "God, what a long day. I just need to mail this out to Atsugi, in the morning, then report into HQ." Misato fell over on the couch. "I just need to sleep first, cause all that is tomorrow's problem."

* * *

July 12, 2015 – Berlin, Germany

Kaji was on the phone in his office, talking in very hushed tones. Several items on his desk were on, mostly to scramble any hint of what he was talking about to anyone on the outside.

"Yes, I understand Sub–Commander. I'll make sure I enact my plan accordingly." Kaji said. "I believe I can pull this off without a problem."

" _The Commander will be glad to hear it, Agent. Your promotion goes through on August 1st, so you will be able to board the ship without being searched._ " Fuyutsuki said.

"Good, now, is there anything else, sir?" Kaji asked.

" _No, just accomplish your mission._ " Fuyutsuki said. " _We'll see you soon._ "

"Goodbye, Sub–Commander." Kaji said hanging up the phone. "Well, now to tell Asuka the good news." Kaji said strolling out of his office.

Kaji walked towards Asuka's quarters several floors below. When he arrived he knocked on the door.

" _Go away! I'm busy!_ " Asuka shouted from inside.

Kaji chuckled to himself. 'Always the same with her…' Kaji thought to himself. "Asuka, it's me, Kaji…" Kaji said.

The door was flung open. "Mr. Kaji!" Asuka said sweetly. "I always have time for you."

"I figured you might." Kaji said. "May I come in?"

"Of course!" Asuka said happily. "You're always welcome here, Mr. Kaji."

They both walked into Asuka's room. Asuka sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to her for Kaji to sit down. "Mr. Kaji, you can sit next to me, I don't mind…" Asuka said cutely.

"Oh, Asuka…" Kaji said quietly as he sat down.

Asuka threw her arms around him. "Mr. Kaji, why did you come down to see me? Did you miss me?"

"No, Asuka." Kaji said as Asuka pouted at his response and she stopped hugging him. "I have some important news to tell you about Unit–02."

"Oh, well, I guess you can tell me Mr. Kaji… seeing as you didn't just come down here to say hello…" Asuka said sullenly.

"Oh, Asuka, of course I came to say hello, but I wanted to tell you the news first." Kaji said trying to brighten her mood. "I was going to come down earlier to take you out, but I was interrupted by a phone call."

"Really, Mr. Kaji?" Asuka said, perking up.

"Really." Kaji said.

"So what are we going to go do?" Asuka asked.

"Well, news first, then I'll tell you what we'll do, ok?" Kaji said.

"Alright, Mr. Kaji." Asuka said sweetly. "So, what is the news about my Unit–02?"

"Well, on August 11th, we're leaving Germany for Japan. We're going to leave from Hamburg and the 6th Branch, go through the Suez Canal, and sail for Sasebo, then after a brief stopover to pick up weapons and supplies there, we sail for New Yokosuka and then Unit–02 will be transferred to NERV HQ's command, with you in tow of course. We should arrive by 30th." Kaji explained. "How's that sound?"

"We'll be sailing to Japan? Why can't we just fly?" Asuka asked. "Wouldn't it be quicker?"

"Well, the U.N. wants us to be under heavy guard until we get there, so we'll be sailing with the Pacific Fleet all the way there, or at least a good portion of the Pacific Fleet anyway." Kaji said. "They just want us to be safe."

"You'll be with me, right Mr. Kaji?" Asuka asked, blinking her eyes. "I'd be very lonely without you."

"Don't worry, Asuka." Kaji said. "I'll be with you the whole time, I promise."

Asuka threw her arms around Kaji again. "Oh, Mr. Kaji, you are the best!" Asuka said snuggling his chest. "Does this mean they need a real Evangelion now? Have they even found the Third Child yet?"

"No, I just think HQ wants all the Evangelions in one place." Kaji said. "As for the Third Child, I did hear a rumor that he was found."

"Oh, a boy huh?" Asuka said. "I bet I'm better at piloting then him."

"Of course you are, Asuka." Kaji replied. "He hasn't had any training yet. Just remember, he could end up being better than you, so don't get too cocky. You'll just have to beat him with your sync score."

"Mr. Kaji!" Asuka said admonishingly as her eyes teared up a bit. "You don't think I'm the best Evangelion pilot?!"

"Of course I think you're the best, Asuka." Kaji said reassuringly. "You just can't sit on your laurels Asuka, you have to keep doing your best."

"I will Mr. Kaji, I'll do my best so I can impress you!" Asuka said happily.

"I'm sure you will, Asuka, I'm sure you will." Kaji said as he patted her on the back.

'I'll keep doing my best for you, and for momma.' Asuka thought as she snuggled against Kaji. 'Otherwise, I'm just a useless failure… and I won't be like that… I don't need anyone's help… I can fight all on my own… I'm the greatest Evangelion pilot ever, and no one can stop Asuka Langley Soryu!'

"Asuka, you do realize this means you need to pack, right?" Kaji said.

"Awww, really?" Asuka replied sweetly. "I just want to relax and have some fun with you, Mr. Kaji."

"Yes, really." Kaji said sternly. "You don't have long to pack, and you have so much stuff. So it'll take a while. I don't mind giving you some help, either."

"You'd help me out, Mr. Kaji?" Asuka said, batting her eyes at him. "You're so wonderful!"

"Well, no better time than the present to get started." Kaji said jokingly. "I'll go get some boxes and be right back."

"Mr. Kaji!" Asuka said as he walked out. "I want to do something more fun!"

"Sorry, Asuka, but work comes first." Kaji said as he walked away. "You know that."

"I do know that." Asuka bemoaned. "But it doesn't mean I have to like it!"

* * *

July 14, 2015 – Atsugi, Japan

Since getting the letter from his father the previous Friday, Shinji hadn't left his room, save for getting something to eat or go to the bathroom. He was still furious his father had sent him such a sparse letter. Jushiro, who had called Shinji out sick on Monday and today, came in to see if he was feeling any better.

"Shinji?" Jushiro asked. "Are you alright?"

"No sensei, I'm still not feeling well." Shinji replied.

"Alright, I called you out sick again for today." Jushiro said.

"Thank you, sensei." Shinji said hollowly.

Jushiro eyed him. "Shinji would your "illness" have anything to do with this?" Jushiro asked.

Shinji looked over and saw the note he had ripped up days before had been taped back together. Attached to it were the train ticket and swipe card.

"No, I have no idea what that is." Shinji lied.

"Shinji, it came in Friday's mail. I wasn't home then, and it was addressed to you." Jushiro said. "You must have read it and ripped it up. I know it's from your father."

"I hate him." Shinji said plainly. "And I don't want to go, he can go straight to hell."

"Shinji, even though you may not want to go, it must be important for him to send you a note." Jushiro said. "And haven't you been waiting for a day like this since the cemetery?"

"Not anymore. I hate him." Shinji said. "I don't think he ever loved me."

"Shinji, that may or may not be true." Jushiro said. "But you owe it to yourself to tell him that yourself, in person."

"I don't want to go." Shinji said stubbornly.

"You have to go, Shinji." Jushiro said. "Just go."

"Why?" Shinji asked. "Why should I go?"

"Like I said Shinji, if you want him to know how you feel, go and tell him that." Jushiro said. "Or at least go and see what he wants, although you'll have to pack quickly, as the train is tomorrow morning."

"I don't want to go, but you make sound like I don't have much of a choice." Shinji said sarcastically.

"Shinji…" Jushiro said. "This might make you change your mind, it just came in the mail today." Jushiro handed Shinji an envelope.

Shinji looked at the envelope. It was addressed to him, and from the handwriting it looked like a women had written it, especially with the hearts over the 'i's and 'j's in his name.

'What a weirdo…' Shinji thought as he opened the envelope.

Shinji pulled out the short letter from inside the envelope and read it. " _Dear Shinji, My name is Misato Katsuragi! I work for your dad at NERV. I'm being sent to be pick you up at the station and deliver you safely to our offices. I look forward to seeing you on the 15th. P.S. I also enclosed a photo of me as a reference so you know what I look like!_ "

Shinji picked the envelope back up and withdrew a picture from inside of it and looked it over. It was of a young women dressed in a yellow t–shirt and blue cutoff shorts, leaning over and showing off her ample cleavage, winking and giving a peace sign. There was a kiss mark on the photo in lipstick, presumably from the young woman in the photo. The note on the photo was short and read:

" _To Shinji, I'll be coming to get you, so wait for me. Misato._ "

A smaller note underneath had an arrow pointing to her breasts noting. " _Attention here please!_ "

'She works for my dad? As what, his slutty secretary?' Shinji thought. 'Who sends a photo like this to a kid?'

Shinji looked over at Jushiro. "He's not even coming to pick me up." Shinji said sullenly. "He's sending his… I don't know… his secretary I guess."

"Shinji you do realize that your father is very busy trying to better humanity right?" Jushiro said. "He's clearly sending someone he trusts to pick up his only son."

"I doubt it." Shinji said. "He was like this when I was younger, always sending other people to do the things he didn't want to do."

"Shinji, he's the one that dropped you off here, don't you remember?" Jushiro asked.

"Of course I remember…" Shinji said. 'One of the worst days of my life…' Shinji thought.

"Well, that day was hard for him too, Shinji." Jushiro said.

"You don't know that." Shinji replied. "He just doesn't want to deal with me."

"Shinji, you'll never know for sure what your father feels if you don't go tomorrow." Jushiro said. "Just think about it."

Shinji thought about it for a few moments. 'He's right, I won't know if I don't go, and if I do, I can tell him what an asshole he's been to me.' Shinji thought.

"I'll go." Shinji said. "I guess going would fulfill something I've always wanted… to go home to father again…" Shinji trailed off. "But I still hate him, even though he's my father and I love him, he just… abandoned me after mother died."

"Shinji, if you keep thinking that way, you'll never be able to property talk to your father." Jushiro said.

"I guess…" Shinji said.

"Well, if you are going, get packed." Jushiro said. "I don't think you can miss the train in the morning."

"I guess so." Shinji said as he got up off the bed. He walked over to his closet and grabbed a duffel bag from it. "Thank you, sensei, for convincing me to go." Shinji said as he grabbed the Mewtwo off his bed side table and put it in the duffel bag.

"You're welcome Shinji." Jushiro said. "So, get what you need, and I'll send along the rest when you write to me."

"I'll leave a list of what you can send, sensei." Shinji said. "For now, I'll just take what I can carry."

"Alright Shinji, goodnight." Jushiro said.

"Goodnight." Shinji said as he looked around his room as Jushiro left. 'What would I take with me anyway, the SDAT, Mewtwo, some clothes. I can have the cello sent to me later, and maybe some other stuff. But I won't need much for now…' Shinji thought as he went to his dresser and grabbed some clothes. 'I don't really intend on staying long.'

* * *

July 15, 2015 – Special Government Train, destination: Tokyo–3

"Bye, sensei." Shinji said, handing Jushiro his keys back.

"Goodbye Shinji." Jushiro said. "You can also hold onto the keys, Shinji, you're welcome back anytime. Especially if things with your father don't work out."

"Thank you, sensei." Shinji said. "I'll… miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Shinji." Jushiro said.

Before Shinji could reply, the loudspeaker gave an announcement. " _This is the final boarding call for the Special Government Train, bound for Tokyo–3. Only authorized persons are allowed on board. The train is due to depart in at 9:00a. We repeat, this is the last call for the Special Government Train, bound for Tokyo–3._ "

"I guess it's time to get going them Shinji." Jushiro said.

"I guess I'll see you around, sensei." Shinji said as he got on the train. As he got on the train, the door buzzer sounded and then the doors closed. Shinji stood at the door and watched the Jushiro as the train started to move. Jushiro waved at Shinji as the train began to pull away from the station.

Shinji put in his SDAT and took a seat not far from the doors. He pressed play on whatever track was queued up from the day before.

**♪Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road**   
**Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go**   
**So make the best of this test, and don't ask why**   
**It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time**   
**It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right**   
**I hope you had the time of your life**

**So take the photographs, and still–frames in your mind**   
**Hang them on a shelf in good health and good time**   
**Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial**

**For what it's worth, it was worth all the while**   
**It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right**   
**I hope you had the time of your life**

**It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right**   
**I hope you had the time of your life**   
**It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right**   
**I hope you had the time of your life♪**

As the song ended, Shinji heard an announcement over the loudspeaker. " _This is the 9:00a Special Government Train from Atsugi to Tokyo–3. The one and only stop will be at the termination point for this train, Tokyo–3._ "

'I'll see you soon… father…' Shinji thought as the train sped off towards Tokyo–3.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

As for the songs used in this chapter, I don't own them either, and they're listed below in order of appearance:  
Linkin Park – _A Place For My Head_ (2000)  
Green Day – _Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)_ (1997)

Sync Score Rankings!  
Asuka – 34.8% (+0.7%)  
Rei – 15.1% (No change)  
Shinji – Pending  
Mari – N/A

Not much to say this chapter, this is mostly filler to get myself some time to write the battle with Sachiel appropriately. So, I wrote out how Shinji's been doing and also how Misato had that picture of herself taken. Shinji has not been doing well, with the bullying and such, and it has given him a bit of a sarcastic and passive defense mechanism, similar to the manga. I wanted this Shinji to have more backbone than the one in the anime. Anime Shinji whines a lot, and manga Shinji was at least snarky at times, although still insecure, which was far more enjoyable

Well, Shinji is heading home, to Tokyo–3. So, next chapter will shift the focus to Tokyo–3. Get ready folks, The War of the Angels will begin in the next chapter, and it's going to be a bit different than the last time.

Asuka will also be unavailable to the story until she packs and then moves to Tokyo–3 from Hamburg.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	4. Third Child vs. Third Angel; Sachiel Appears

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode IV: The Last Hope

* * *

Chapter 4 – Third Child vs. Third Angel; Sachiel Appears  
July 15, 2015 – Tokyo–3

'I've never had any cherished ambitions. I don't aspire to any future profession or career. So far, in the first fourteen years of my life, things have always happened as they had to. And things will probably continue the same way. That's why I've never really cared whether I got into an accident or something and died.' Shinji thought as he sat quietly on the train heading into Tokyo–3. 'Those words are the ones my teacher was so upset about, and then he failed me on the assignment for not taking it seriously. But I was telling the truth, I really don't care what happens to me. Jushiro might care, he's always been kind to me, but father pays him very well to be nice, so how can I be sure of what anyone wants from me. I don't even know why my father as called for me, all he said was "Come" and signed his name so I knew it was him.

All of a sudden , the train's lights turned red, and a message came on over the loud speaker " _A state of emergency has been declared for the Tokai Region, for your safety we will be stopping at the next station and allow all passengers to get to emergency shelters. We repeat a state of emergency had been declared for the Tokai Region…_ "

"What the hell?" Shinji said aloud as the train came to a halt at the nearest station with its doors suddenly opening.

The loud speaker reiterated itself as the train stopped. " _A state of emergency has been declared for the Tokai Region. We have now arrived at the nearest station, please disembark immediately and move quickly and calmly to emergency shelters in the area. We repeat a state of emergency had been declared for the Tokai Region…_ "

"Fine, I guess I'll get off here, stupid train…" Shinji said sarcastically as he grabbed his duffel bag and backpack and gruffly left the train. "I hope this day doesn't get any worse."

–––

"Generals." Hyuga said looking back at the three generals behind him. "The enemy is moving closer to shore, and its projected course is has it heading directly for Tokyo–3!"

"All naval units report that the enemy was too close to shore to get a meaningful weapons lock, pursuit has been abandoned." The naval admiral sitting on the right side said. "Prepare all naval search and rescue squadrons for launch."

"As soon as it pops out of the water, have all tank brigades open fire with high explosive shells." The army general sitting on the left side said. "And prepare all PATRIOT Missile trucks at the outer edges of the city to move into the most likely path of the enemy to intercept. When they see the enemy, they have authorization to engage."

"Launch four of the VTOL attack squadrons to intercept." The air force general seated in the middle said. "Leave the other two in reserve. As soon as they intercept, have them open fire with all ordinance, and make sure the VTOLs have been loaded with explosive bullets."

"Right away generals." Hyuga and Aoba replied, relaying the orders to the respective branches.

"Ikari… it's been fifteen years, hasn't it?" Fuyutsuki asked quietly as they looked at the massive monitor in front of them with the projected path of the enemy headed directly for Tokyo–3. "SEELE was correct were they not?"

"Yes, Fuyutsuki, it has been 15 years, but there can be no mistaking it, it's an Angel." Gendo replied quietly. "The day has finally arrived, Fuyutsuki, the trials humanity cannot avoid, there is no turning back now, the War of the Angels has begun."

–––

The hot air and humid air was filled with the constant sounds of cicadas' chirping, however that serene state of being was about to be disrupted.

Just offshore from Japan, at New Yokosuka, a large beast was gliding motionless through the water in ruins of Old Odawara, passing by leaning and half submerged buildings. The beast in the water was roughly humanoid in shape, and roughly the size of an Evangelion.

The creature didn't look threatening but was heading to shore to try and find something it was searching for. It wasn't sure what it was, it was simply being drawn there by an unknown force.

Awaiting the massive beast on shore was a line of several hundred tanks, all pointing their cannons towards the slow moving target. As it moved closer to shore the tanks' line of fire slowly converged.

"All units." The tank commander ordered. "Load high explosive rounds and prepare for a full barrage as soon as the enemy shows itself! Don't let up, not even for a moment!"

The ripples in the water could be seen getting closer to shore, and were coming to the outside edge of the tank cannons' range.

"Hold your fire… hold… it's almost within range… hold…" The tank commander said as the dark shape could be seen under the water now with the naked eye. "HOLD… NOW! WEAPONS FREE! I REPEAT, WEAPONS FREE! ALL UNITS OPEN FIRE!"

All the tanks cannons' burst to life as a dark shape came out of the water and was shrouded in a cloud of fire and smoke from the barrage of exploding ordinance it took, and then, suddenly there was silence once more, only broken by the sound of cicadas chirping.

–––

"Just great." Shinji said, plopping down on the train station's stairs. "I'm two whole stops from where I'm supposed to be, and I have no idea where I'm going from there. I guess my best bet is to just walk the last two stations, and meet up with the weirdo picking me up."

Shinji pulled out a photo of a young women dressed in a yellow t–shirt and blue cutoff shorts, leaning over and showing off her ample cleavage, winking and giving a peace sign. There was a kiss mark on the photo in lipstick, presumably from the young woman in the photo. The note on the photo was short and read:

" _To Shinji, I'll be coming to get you, so wait for me. Misato._ "

A smaller note underneath had an arrow pointing to her breasts noting. " _Attention here please!_ "

"What an oddball…" A Shinji said. "I still don't get why she sent this…"

Shinji approached the nearest payphone and picked it up. He put in a coin to activate the line and he tried to dial, but got a message instead.

" _We're sorry, due to the state of special emergency currently in effect, no lines are currently available. Thank you for using AT &T. This is a recording._"

"Stupid bullshit." Shinji said angrily. "They make it sound as if a war has been declared…"

Just as Shinji turned around to pick up his bag, he saw something off in the distance on the road in front of him. Two figures, both were wearing a school uniform and looked quite odd. The shorter one, the girl, had a white shirt, a pleated light blue dress, a thin red ribbon, dark shocks and white shoes. The boy was dressed like Shinji, in a white short–sleeved button up, dark pants, and white sneakers. From what Shinji could tell, she had pale blue hair and he had silvery white hair, and they both appeared to have crimson eyes, and they were both staring blankly at him.

"What the hell…" Shinji muttered.

A flock of birds taking off from a telephone pole started Shinji and looked for the source of the disturbance, and when he looked back, the two mysterious figures were nowhere to be seen, as if they had vanished into thin air.

Shinji felt a huge gust of wind and braced himself as the metal shutters on the closed businesses rattled furiously around him.

Shinji turned around to see a dozen or so VTOLs flying in the distance in reverse against an advancing enemy. A massive advancing enemy. As it entered into view from behind a hill, Shinji stood there in frozen in shock.

"What the fuck is that thing…" Shinji muttered to himself. "I've got a bad feeling about this…"

The beast appeared to be unaggressive, as it was being barraged by the VTOLs' rockets, missiles, and machine guns. It kept getting knocked back, but no visible harm was coming to the beasts, as every single missile had impacted, and caused massive collateral damage, but there was simply no effect.

The beast itself was colored black, with white pieces of what looked like bone on its shoulders and upper thighs, and an encasement of the bone like structure on its back that wrapped around to its chest like ribs. Situated underneath the terminus of the ribs was a large, glowing, blood red orb. The beast's long arms had rods coming out from its elbow with long skinny fingers, three to a hand like some sort of living mutated skeleton. It had a face like a mask, with to beady eyes and a long beak like thing coming off from the bottom of the mask.

Sachiel had arrived.

It raised up one of its hands and shot a glowing rod out of it as the rod sticking out of its elbow shot inwards. It took out one of the attacking VTOL fighters that were still sustaining an attack with continued rocket and machine gun fire. The VTOL careened out of control and crashed a few meters from where Shinji was standing. Suddenly, the beast glowed bright orange and lifted itself off the ground, and landed gently near Shinji, crushing the VTOL it had just downed, causing it to erupt in a fiery explosion, and knocking Shinji to the ground Shinji covered his face and could hear metal hitting metal, and tires screeching…

When he looked up, he saw a blue sports car in front of him with beautiful woman inside of it. She threw the door to reveal herself. She was wearing stylish sunglasses, gold earrings, and a short black dress with white trim, wearing a silver, Greek style cross around her neck. She had long, deep purple hair. She pulled down her sunglasses to reveal beautiful hazel eyes.

"Sorry about that, Shinji." Misato said. "Am I real late?"

Shinji sat there in a stunned silence looking at the beast and then back at the car. "Ms. Katsuragi?" Shinji asked.

"The name's Misato, and we don't have a lot of time for idle chit–chat, get in the car, we have to get out of here!" Misato implored. "Come on, Shinji!"

The VTOLs pressed their futile attack, continuing to barrage Sachiel with ordinance. Shinji decided it would be best to get the fuck out of the way.

Shinji ran to the other side of the car as shit exploded all around them, sending shrapnel raining down on them from Sachiel standing right above them. As Shinji closed the door, metal could be heard raining down on the poor sports car as Misato slammed the shifter into reverse and slammed the gas.

"WAHHHHHHH!" Shinji screamed, not expecting the sudden acceleration.

"Sorry, hold on, Shinji!" Misato exclaimed as she did a J–turn and accelerated forward into second gear, away from Sachiel's foot, which landed where they had just been moments ago.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Shinji asked loudly. "Why is it being attacked?!"

"Shinji, that's a good question." Misato said. "We at NERV call it an Angel, and our sworn duty is protect the world from them."

"It's… an Angel?" Shinji asked.

"Correct. What you just witnessed was the Third Angel, Shinji Ikari." Misato said proudly as she continued speeding off into the distance. "Congratulations on surviving your first Angel encounter."

"Yeah, I'd really rather not have to do that again." Shinji said sarcastically.

–––

"Reports are coming in from the Search and Rescue teams." Hyuga reported. "No survivors were found on the shore defense line, all tanks were destroyed. Red–5 has taken command of the aerial strike forces and reports the VTOL attack is still ineffective, and that the enemy has suffered no visible damage. IFF confirms that Red squadron has lost seven aircraft, with Yellow, Blue and Green squadrons having all lost nine aircraft each. We only have 11 VTOLs left in the air sirs, and they report they are running low on ammunition and fuel. What are your orders, generals?"

"Launch the reserve squadrons immediately! Call in all reinforcements from the surrounding airbases in Atsugi and Iruma, fighters and VTOLs! I want the remaining VTOLs to draw the target away from the city. And then scramble Thunderbird squadron to launch cruise missiles at this bastard!" The air force general said.

"Have the PATRIOT Missile trucks lock in and fire on target, then haul ass out of there!" The army general shouted.

"Get us a goddamn visual!" The naval admiral said. "We need to assess the situation properly."

"Notifying the Atsugi and Iruma airbases to launch all available units, unknown ETA. Mobilizing Orange and Purple squadrons immediately, ETA will be 3 minutes." Hyuga said. "And mobilizing the Thunderbird squadron as well, ETA is 7 minutes."

"Battle is now coming into visual range, standby." Aoba said, tapping the console in front of him. "Putting it on the main screen."

On the massive holographic command screen, a visual popped up of Sachiel wiping out several more VTOLs with its spear hands. The sensors then came online and began to scan Sachiel, and then an alert popped up on screen identifying the beast to those in Central Dogma at long last.

"Commander Ikari, the sensors are finally giving us a response, it's Pattern Blue, sir." Hyuga said gravely. "It's… an Angel…"

"Designate it as the _Third Angel_ and continue to follow the orders of the generals, Lieutenant Hyuga." Gendo ordered. "Until they concede they cannot handle such a mighty creature and transfer command of this operation to NERV."

"Ikari, shut your mouth, the JSSDF and U.N. forces can more than handle this thing you call an Angel!" The air force general said angrily. "We'll show you how to deal with these monsters. Put Archangel–1 on emergency standby for immediate launch! If the cruise missiles don't work, we'll use our ace in the hole."

"Right away general." Hyuga said. "Archangel–1 is reporting launch and standby status, it'll hold 2 minutes outside of Tokyo–3 airspace."

–––

The assault on Sachiel continued. The remaining VTOLs were firing everything they had at the monster, still with no effect. The PATRIOT Missiles were being launched from the ground to distract Sachiel from the small swarm of VTOLs around it.

"This is Red–5 to all remaining units. Our orders are to stay and fight and draw this thing away from the city at all costs. Two more VTOL squadrons are moving in, and reinforcements are being confirmed now. All we have to do is distract it until Thunderbird squadron arrives to take this fucker out. Let's move, and try to avoiding dying, shall we?"

24 fresh VTOLs moved into range from an air base not far from Tokyo–3. They opened fire in unison on Sachiel with all their missiles and rockets impacting Sachiel directly, and still causing absolutely no damage. Sachiel raised both its hands and shot out its spears, cutting down several of the new VTOL in fiery explosions.

"Jesus, this thing is some kind of fucking demon!" Red–5 shouted. "All units, continue harassment of the enemy, and avoid its hands at all costs! Start moving on heading 010 away from the city!"

Sachiel became distracted by the VTOLs harassing it, and decided it wanted to destroy them for being so bothersome, and followed them as they moved him away from the city.

"This is Thunderbird–1, we have four cruise missile carriers inbound to your position, we'll be in firing range in 45 seconds, all harassing units, move away from the creature, and prepare for the blast wave." Thunderbird–1 ordered. "Thunderbird Squadron, get eyes on the target, lock on, and prepare to fire on my mark."

The four large, slow moving strike aircraft spread out from each other and armed the large missiles slung underneath the aircrafts fuselages' and slowed to a more appropriate attack speed. Two of the planes took the lead to open up the strike.

"Thunderbird–2, Thunderbird–4, fire in… 3… 2… 1… mark!" Thunderbird–1 ordered.

Both aircraft dropped their respective cruise missiles and then flew off towards their targets, with the planes breaking up and left to fly back to base. Sachiel saw the missiles coming, and cocked its head and blinked as the VTOLs moved away. Sachiel put up both of its hands and bulked itself up, and caught a missile in each. The missiles were split down the middle into three segments by Sachiel's long fingers and exploded when the rocket motors wear impacted by his hand spears. The explosion was massive, and left nothing behind but a massive fireball.

"Thunderbird–3, prepare to fire!" Thunderbird–1 ordered. "3… 2… 1… FIRE! Thunderbolt–1 Fox–3!"

The other two cruise missiles fired towards the massive fireball, and the planes broke off and followed their companions back to base. The cruise missiles hit with an even bigger display of fire and creating an even larger shockwave, which knocked out the visuals in NERV HQ.

–––

"We've lost visual!" Hyuga shouted. "The explosion knocked out the cameras!"

"Rebooting the cameras now." Aoba said. "Reinitializing… feed is now back up."

On the main monitor all inside Central Dogma could see that the fireball had cleared, and Sachiel was standing there, completely unfazed by the massive explosion.

"It must be an A.T. Field, right Ikari?" Fuyutsuki said.

"Yes, Yui was spot on with the power an A.T Field could possess." Gendo said slyly. "No conventional weapons they have could possibly harm Sachiel."

"Very true, Ikari." Fuyutsuki said. "I just hope they don't do anything rash…"

"That was a direct fucking hit!" The naval admiral shouted. "With four fucking cruise missiles! How is this possible?!"

"We've thrown everything we got at it, and it hasn't done a fucking thing." The army general said, throwing his fist onto the table. "We're out of options!"

One of the phones rang in front of the military commanders, the air force general swiped his card to answer the phone. After a moment, he hung up the phone gruffly.

"No, we're not. We still have our ace in the hole." The air force general said with his hands folded in front of him. "Lieutenant, I'm authorizing Archangel–1 to fire its payload. Authorization code is, _Alpha–Michael–Foxtrot–one–niner–four–five_."

"Roger that, general." Hyuga replied. "Archangel–1, you are now authorized to use lethal force. Authorization has been authenticated by U.N. central command."

" _Roger that command, Archangel–1 moving into attack._ "

–––

Misato saw a massive fireball off in the distance. Out of which, Sachiel emerged, still advancing towards Tokyo–3.

"Hey, Shinji, I'm sorry, we have to pull over." Misato said, pulling off the road several miles from where the battle was happening. "I need to see how the battle is going."

"God, why?" Shinji said. "Should we be driving, I don't know, far, far away from that thing?"

"Come on, Shinji." Misato said pulling the e–brake on the car. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Pick somewhere." Shinji replied sarcastically. "I left it back there when that VTOL crashed, or when that thing crushed it when it landed on it, or when those missiles…"

"Enough, I get it already." Misato snapped as she leaned over Shinji. "Now be quiet, I need to check something." Misato said as she pulled out her binoculars. "Hmm, that thing looks pretty healthy, even after that assault." Misato mused as her boobs kept poking Shinji in the face. 'His nose tickles.' Misato thought playfully.

'Could you get your tits off my face?' Shinji thought. 'I barely know you… that and I'm wayyyy too young for you.'

Misato could see several small dots still flying around Sachiel, then all of a sudden they scattered.

"What the fuck?" Misato said. "No… no, no, no… they're going to use an N2 Mine!" Misato grabbed Shinji and tucked him under herself to protect him. "Get down and cover your eyes, Shinji!"

–––

"This is Archangel–1, we're dropping the Spear of Destiny, clear out everyone."

A large rounded cylindrical device dropped from the bomb bay of Archangel–1. As it leveled with the Core of Sachiel it exploded in a bright flash of light. A massive mushroom cloud erupted around Sachiel, obscuring it from view, and then a massive shockwave moved outward from the epicenter of the blast.

The shockwave moved outwards at supersonic speed. It approached the small Alpine A310, whipping wind around it and pushing it sideways, until it started rolling over.

"WAHHHHHHH!" Shinji screamed as the car kept rolling over as the shockwave passed around them, and as it dissipated, the car eventually settled on its left side. Misato had ended up awkwardly on top of Shinji, with her ass in Shinji's face.

"Cam ew et ff ma!" Shinji muttered unintelligibly.

"Oh, I'm sorry Shinji." Misato said. 'So glad I wore panties instead of a thong today…' Misato thought as she pulled herself away from Shinji. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Misato." Shinji said. "Just feeling shitty."

"Very funny…" Misato said darkly. "Some men would love to get a view like that, ya know."

"I'm a kid, not "some men", Misato." Shinji replied. 'Weirdo…' Shinji thought.

"You're no fun." Misato pouted. 'So, he's not a degenerate pervert then, just a good kid.' Misato thought. 'And you have the same name as a man I once had a huge crush on… I wonder if you're related at all?'

–––

"What's the status of the target?" The air force general asked.

"The electromagnetic pulse knocked out our equipment, sir." Maya said disapprovingly. "We'll be back online in a few minutes."

The main screen in Central Dogma was nothing but static while most of the room cheered, save for Gendo, Fuyutsuki, and Ritsuko.

"Haha!" The army general said gloatingly. "Looks like you won't get a shot at that thing after all, Ikari."

Gendo laughed silently. "If they only knew, Fuyutsuki, they wouldn't be so happy."

"I'm sure they'll find out momentarily." Fuyutsuki replied. "The blast should be clear enough soon so they can see how ineffective man's ultimate weapon actually is."

"Sensors have been restored." Aoba said.

"We have readings of the blast zone." Maya said. "It's… it's an energy reading! Pattern Blue reconfirmed, the Angel… it's still alive!"

"Impossible!" The army and air force generals shouted.

"I won't believe it till I see it." The naval admiral shouted.

"Attempting to bring visuals back online now." Hyuga said. "External cameras online."

The screen came back online, revealing a devilish figure surrounded and illuminated by hellfire. Sachiel had survived the N2 Mine. A close up on Sachiel revealed its long beaked face had been scarred and cracked and pushed aside, and a new face was popping out from beneath where the old one had been. It was covered in bluish–purple blood. The only damage that Sachiel sustained was minimal, as she was still standing.

"It's regenerating, Ikari." Fuyutsuki said. "It's healing itself."

"Well, looks like Dr. Katsuragi was right, the S2 Engine is capable of regenerating whatever organic material it's attached to." Gendo said. "It's a shame he's not here to witness this event in person."

There was a flash of light from Sachiel's new eyes, and the camera went dead again.

"It seems to have gained a new power as well." Fuyutsuki said curiously. "How intriguing."

"My God…" The army general said sadly. "We only made it stronger…"

"That was everything we could throw at it…" The air force general said in disbelief.

"We should make that phone call now, gentleman." The naval admiral said solemnly.

All three of them swiped their I.D. cards at their respective phones and picked them up. They chatted on the phone for a few moments, saying only "yes" or "no" and then hung up.

"Commander Ikari." The air force general said. "We're now transferring command of this operation to you. The success of this operation now hinges on those multi–billion dollar weapon systems you people created."

"We now see that all the weapons in our arsenal have no effect on these creatures." The naval admiral said. "You're our only hope now."

"Do not betray our trust." The army general said threateningly.

"Yes, gentleman, I'm glad you've finally seen reason and given up your futile efforts." Gendo gloated, pushing up his glasses. "That is why NERV exists. It's our last hope for survival. We will defeat this Angel."

"I pray that you're right." The air force general said as the three military men disappeared from view.

"The U.N. forces are exhausted, Ikari." Fuyutsuki said. "What are your orders, Commander?"

"Prepare Unit–01 for launch immediately." Gendo replied.

"Unit–01… for launch?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Yes." Gendo said. "I want it ready immediately."

"But, Ikari, we have no pilot." Fuyutsuki replied in disbelief. "Rei is injured, and Asuka is in Germany. Unless…"

"Yes, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said as he turned around. "The Third Child is inbound to NERV HQ as we speak. I'll be supervising the preparations for Unit–01 personally. You'll be in operational command until Captain Katsuragi returns."

"Yes, Commander." Fuyutsuki said. 'Well, well, well, the first meeting of father and son in three years, I wonder how that will go.' Fuyutsuki thought.

"Sub–Commander, it appears the Angel is moving again." Hyuga said.

Fuyutsuki turned around to face the main screen. "Hyuga, activate the Angel Intercept System and the outer defensive perimeters. Aoba, get all staff to Level–1 battle stations. Ibuki, use the projected path of the Angel to determine at least four Evangelion egress points to intercept the Angel."

"Setting alert status to Level–1 battle stations." Aoba replied. "All levels report combat readiness."

"AIS is online, armed and at 87% readiness." Hyuga replied. "Outer defensive perimeters have been activated."

"Computing all probable Evangelion intercept points now, Sub–Commander." Maya replied. "Calculating 17 points where Unit–01 can intercept, and clearing them all now."

"Excellent work everyone." Fuyutsuki said. "Let's keep it up."

–––

"Alright Shinji, help me flip the car back over." Misato said, looking sadly at her car. "Push when I say go." The two put their backs against the sideways car. "Alright, push!"

With some effort, the car flipped back, hard onto its wheels. It was damaged quite severely, dented and scuffed up from all manner of poor treatment since Sachiel began attacking.

"Thanks, Shinji, you're pretty useful." Misato said

"I should thank you, Ms. Katsuragi, for saving me from that thing." Shinji said pointing off into the distance.

"Oh, please, Misato is fine. Now come, I have to get you to HQ before they try blowing us away again." Misato said, getting back in the car. "We don't have all day, Shinji!"

"Yeah, yeah, hold your horses." Shinji muttered, getting into the car as Misato sped off again without allowing Shinji time to buckle up. "Can you hold on a sec!?"

"No time, Shinji." Misato replied. "We have places to be."

"Yeah, whatever." Shinji said, buckling his belt as Misato sped dangerously down the road.

'Man, today sucks. My car got messed up, my sunglasses got ruined, my favorite dress is filthy and has a tear, and this kid is being so annoying!' Misato thought. 'I wish he wouldn't be so damn sarcastic.'

"Hey, will you pay attention to the road!" Shinji shouted as he grabbed the wheel and turned it. "Are you trying to kill us?!"

"No, I was just… preoccupied." Misato said. "God, you're not anywhere as cute as your picture suggests."

"Well, you're about as mature as your picture suggests." Shinji said snidely.

"Why you…" Misato said, jerking the wheel hard to the left making the car swerve across the road.

"Hey, will you learn how to drive!" Shinji shouted as the car entered a tunnel.

The drove down the tunnel at high speed, and Misato slammed the brakes as they approached a hatch with NERV's emblem on it.

"Hey, Misato, where are we?" Shinji I asked as they pulled onto and empty train car.

"Oh, we're at NERV HQ, we're boarding an express car train now." Misato replied.

" _Please stand clear the hatch is now closing._ " A voice said as Misato pulled the e–brake.

"What is NERV exactly?" Shinji asked. "You keep saying it like I should know the name."

"Well, NERV is a semi–secret organization under the supervision of the United Nations." Misato explained. "Our public mission is for the prevention of a Third Impact, while our secret mission is to fight the Angels. It's pretty straightforward."

"With politics involved, nothing is straightforward, Misato." Shinji said. "And this… place… is where my father works?"

"Of course, silly." Misato said jokingly. "Don't you know you're father is in command of this place?"

"No, all I was every told was his work was important to survival of mankind…" Shinji trailed off. "Misato, are we going to see my father?" Shinji asked.

"Of, course." Misato said as she powdered her nose. "Of course we're going to see him."

Shinji grimaced and remembered the day his father left him in Atsugi. 'Father…'

"Hey, did your dad send you an I.D. card? We can't get you inside without one." Misato said.

"Oh, yeah…" Shinji fished around inside his bag and pulled out the taped up letter. "Here it is. It came with this letter."

'What the hell?' Misato thought. 'This is what his father sent him to come here? Poor kid.' Misato reached into her door and grabbed something and handed it to Shinji. "Here, start reading this."

She handed him a manual saying "Welcome to NERV" on the cover. "NERV? My father's agency? Am I going to be working for him?"

"I'm not sure exactly." Misato said, leaning back against her seat.

"Yeah, that's right, my father wouldn't have sent me a letter unless he needed something from me." Shinji said. "It wouldn't just be to say hello."

"Hmm, sounds like you don't get along with your dad." Misato said woefully. "You sound just like me with my own father."

"Huh?" Shinji asked as the car was illuminated with what looked like the setting sun, even though they were deep underground. There were dozens of buildings hanging from the ceiling, and below, there was a pyramid and a litany of other, smaller buildings, and an artificial lake with a destroyer floating on it.

"What, what is this?" Shinji asked, before answering his own question. "Is this the Geofront? It is isn't it, a real Geofront!"

"Yep, this is NERV's headquarters, deep underneath Tokyo–3, which is what you see hanging from the ceiling, or at least the central part of the city anyway. This city is humanity's last hope for survival, a citadel meant to defend against and destroy the Angels." Misato said. "We'll be arriving in a few minutes, so just enjoy the view, alright?"

–––

Ritsuko was in the LCL pool of Cage #7. She had just finished a check of Unit–01's chest plates, and had deemed them ready for combat operations. As she was surfacing, a message came over the intercom.

" _Attention! Would Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, Scientific Division Director, please contact Captain Misato Katsuragi, Probationary Tactical Division Director immediately._ "

"Hell, Misato's lost again?" Ritsuko muttered as she took off her diving gear. "She must get lost in her own apartment, she's got no sense of direction whatsoever."

" _Dr. Akagi._ " Gendo said from the observation room. " _Please go retrieve Captain Katsuragi and the Third Child, we don't have any time to waste._ "

"Yes, Commander, right away." Ritsuko replied as she pulled on her lab coat and put on a pair of slip–on canvas shoes and scurried from the room.

–––

Shinji and Misato were on moving walkways suspended over a deep shaft that went down what looked several hundred meters. They had been going around in circles from Misato's inability to navigate the complex that was NERV HQ. It also didn't help that she had been there less week. As they entered back into the dep shaft, Misato's skirt blew up slightly.

"And that's why I hate riding these things in skirts. It's like _The Seven Year Itch_ …" Misato said as she looked at the map in her hands.

"Misato, are you lost?" Shinji asked while he had his head buried inside the NERV welcome guide she had given him. "We've passed this same spot twice already." He pointed to signage that said "R–105 Sublevel 20" on the hatch in front of them.

"We're no lost." Misato said looking at the map she had in her hand in utter confusion. "I'm just not used to this place yet, I haven't even been here a week."

"Excuses, excuses, excuses." Shinji muttered.

"Can't you read quietly?" Misato snapped.

"Can you be not lost?" Shinji replied as he flipped the page.

Misato made a face at Shinji which went unnoticed. "Oh, thank god, an elevator." Misato exclaimed.

"About time." Shinji said stepping on behind her, and going to the rear of the elevator.

The elevator began its decent deeper into NERV while Misato stood patiently in front of the door. On level B–29, the elevator stopped. When the doors opened, a cross looking Ritsuko was standing there.

"Oh, hello there, Ritsuko." Misato said.

"Why are wasting my precious time, Captain Katsuragi." Ritsuko said angrily. "Don't you realize that we are short on both time _and_ manpower?"

"We're always short on time, Ritsuko/" Misato replied.

"That's not the point!" Ritsuko snapped. "I don't have time to waste finding you and guiding you where you need to go!"

"Sorry…" Misato said with a giggle.

Ritsuko turned to Shinji. "So, is this… the boy? The Third Child?"

"Yep!" Misato said happily. "Ritsuko Akagi, meet Shinji Ikari."

'Third Child?' Shinji thought. 'What kind of bullshit is that? I'm an _only_ child.'

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Ritsuko said.

"Oh, sure, same to you." Shinji said with his head buried in the welcome guide.

"Sorry, Ritsuko." Misato said. "I forgot to warn you, he's an awful lot like his father, or at least the standoffish part of him anyway."

The Elevator dinged again, and the trio got out of the elevator and walked to a separate lift that took them by a hand poking through the wall.

"So, Ritsuko, what's our current situation?" Misato asked.

"Unit–01 is being prepped for activation, and the Angel was subdued for a few moments by that silly N2 strike, but otherwise, we're gearing up for battle." Ritsuko replied.

"Good, I guess I'll get to put my skills to the test." Misato said.

"Really, Misato, that's what you're worried about?" Ritsuko asked.

"Well, yeah." Misato replied. "I'd like to get rid of that probationary status I have ya know."

The lift stopped near what looked like a dock. There was a small, inflatable speedboat nearby. The three got in, while Shinji still had not looked up from the welcome guide. The boat sped across an orange looking pool to another dock, which had a purple and neon green something contained in it. They went through a door into a darkened room, with only light coming from the door they just came through. The door then shut, plunging the trio in to total darkness.

"The fuck…?!" Shinji exclaimed. "Why is it so dark in here?"

"Hold on a second." Ritsuko said as she clicked something and the lights came on. As they did, Shinji was now place face–to–face with a giant purple head staring straight back at him

"What the hell is that?!" Shinji exclaimed. "A giant robot head?!" Shinji started frantically looking through the welcome guide to see what he had missed.

"You won't find _this_ in _there_ , Shinji." Ritsuko said. "This is known as man's most magnificent creation, named the _Ultimate All_ – _Purpose Humanoid Decisive Battle Weapon: Evangelion_. This is Unit–01, the Test–Type Evangelion. It was built here in secret, and is man's last hope of survival."

"So, this is what my father has been working on all these years?" Shinji asked.

" _That is correct._ " Gendo said from the observation room. " _It's been a while…_ " Gendo said.

"Father…" Shinji said, with his face contorting in sadness and his eyes widening in shock.

" _Shinji… listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you._ " Gendo said. " _You will be piloting Unit–01 in battle against the Angel._ "

"But, Commander!" Misato shouted. "Even Rei took seven months just to sync with her EVA, and Shinji has no formal training, it's not possible or safe for him to go!"

"Captain Katsuragi, our only concern right now is stopping that Angel, anything else is secondary until that threat has been neutralized." Ritsuko said.

" _All he has to do is sit inside of the Entry Plug, Captain._ " Gendo said. " _I'm not expecting any miracles right now._ "

"But…" Misato started.

"Unless you have any other alternatives, Captain, this is our only option." Ritsuko replied. "Now, Shinji if you'll just follow me…"

"Wait…" Shinji said with his fists clenched and his body shaking. "So, you expect me to ride this thing to fight that giant monster we saw that apparently survived a direct hit by some kind of super weapon? Am I the only one who finds this plan insane?! There's no way I'm capable of doing something like that!"

" _Just accept this explanation, Shinji. You're the best candidate we have._ " Gendo replied gravely. " _No, you're the only candidate we have, Shinji. You're our last, best hope to defeat that Angel._ "

"But, why me?!" Shinji shouted. "It doesn't make any goddamn sense!"

" _You don't need to understand, Shinji._ " Gendo said angrily. " _Just get inside the Evangelion, and we'll deal with the rest._ "

"NO!" Shinji screamed. "You expect me to just get in that fucking thing? This is what you called me for?! To order me to my death against some crazy fucking thing?! You ignored me, walked out on me, and left me alone after my mother died to work on this fucking machine, and you think I'm just going to do as you say?! Are you fucking insane?!"

" _If you_ don't _do as I say, all of humanity will cease to exist._ " Gendo said sternly. " _As of this moment, the survival of the human race rests squarely on your shoulders._ "

"NO, I REFUSE! YOU WON'T CONVINCE ME FATHER, NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY!" Shinji roared. "YOU CAN GO TO HELL FATHER, AND TAKE THAT FUCKING EVANGELION WITH YOU!"

Shinji was still shaking and he started crying and sniffling loudly as all the people in Cage #7 looked on with concern.

'I understand, Shinji…' Misato thought. 'You hate him for what he's done to you as much as I hate my father for what he did to me.'

Inside the observation room, even though no one was close enough to see it, for a single moment, Gendo's stony face didn't show his usual emotionless look. In fact he looked quite dejected or even disappointed.

"I see." Gendo said in his usual harsh tone. "Alright then, I have no further need of you anymore. Go back to Atsugi, you coward."

'Maybe this will force him into it, I'll manipulate that kind heart of his…' Gendo could see Shinji's face fall. "Fuyutsuki, wake Rei and get her in here."

" _Ikari, can we use her?_ " Fuyutsuki asked.

"She's not dead, is she?" Gendo said plainly. "Have her transported here immediately."

" _Right away, Commander._ " Fuyutsuki replied, cutting off the channel.

Back on the catwalk, Shinji was still crying silently, with Misato trying to comfort him the best she could. Ritsuko however was barking orders to the workers in the room who were still distracted by Shinji's outburst to the Commander.

"Cancel initialization! Prepare to recalibrate the system of Unit–01 for Rei!" Ritsuko shouted. "Get Rei's Entry Plug up here, now!"

Shinji was still crying and shaking with rage. "So, you don't have a use for me anymore, and you're sending me away, just like before!" Shinji shouted. "You call me a coward when you can't even stand to be near me!"

" _Enough, Shinji._ " Gendo said. " _You said you will not pilot Unit–01 under any circumstances, so shut up and leave, and never return to this place. I have no time for a petulant child having a temper tantrum._ "

As Shinji was turning to leave, he saw a hospital bed being wheeled in by two doctors. As the bed got closer Shinji could see it was a girl about his age with pale blue hair and crimson eyes. She had an IV drip in her left arm. She was dressed in a marble white, skin tight suit, the sleeves of the suit were missing, and her left arm, chest, and head were wrapped tightly by bandages. Her right arm was in a cast, and there was a bandage over her right eye. She was clearly in a great deal of pain, and was having trouble breathing. Her gaze was fixed upwards towards the ceiling, and her uncovered eye looked blank. And all Shinji could do was just stare at her.

'There is something familiar about her… she looks like the girl I saw in the road with that boy…' Shinji thought.

" _Rei, our backup is useless. He's a useless coward._ " Gendo said. " _You must pilot Unit–01 against the Angel._ "

"Yes… sir…" Rei said weakly.

Shinji watched as Rei struggled to get up from the bed. She started to roll over and onto her good arm and tried to push herself up. She cried out in pain as she began to get up, sweat dripping from her face as a noise from above them broke the silence of Rei's ragged breathing.

Up above them, Sachiel was at the outer edge of the city, not far from the central block that was retracted into the ceiling of the Geofront. It fired off a blast from its eyes towards the city, setting off a large, cross–shaped explosion.

The explosion rocked Cage #7 and the rest of NERV HQ.

" _The Angel, it's found our location!_ " Gendo shouted from the observation room. " _I'm returning to Central Dogma…_ "

Another cross–shaped explosion was set off above them, rocking the Cage even more and knocking loose some of the buildings hanging high above them, sending them crashing down into the Geofront. The quakes caused by this explosion knocked Rei's bed over, slamming her into the ground, and Shinji lost his balance and fell over as several heavy lights broke free of the ceiling and fell towards him.

"SHINJI!" Misato shouted. "LOOK OUT!"

Shinji covered his head with his hands and crouched down. The eyes of Unit–01 glowed brightly, and its right arm broke free of its restraints and covered Shinji from the falling debris, the lights bouncing harmlessly off the large armored hand, sending one of them careening into the observation window, where Gendo could be seen smiling very smugly.

'Excellent.' Gendo thought happily. 'I knew you were in control in that thing, Yui.'

Shinji uncovered his face to see the massive hand hovering above him.

"No, that's not possible, how could it have moved!" Ritsuko shrieked. "The Signal Termination Plug is still engaged, and there is no pilot, it can't just move on its own!"

"Was it trying to protect Shinji?" Misato said loudly, picking herself up off the ground.

Shinji ran over to Rei, who was still lying on the ground. He picked her up gently in his arms. "Are you ok?" Shinji asked. "You'll be ok…"

All Rei could do in response was cry out in pain. Shinji could feel his hand was wet, and looked at it. It was covered in Rei's blood.

'How could my father put someone in her condition inside that thing?' Shinji thought. 'She can barely even breathe or move, it's not right…'

"Shinji, do you see now why we need your help? She'll have to pilot if you leave." Misato said softly. "But if you aren't going to pilot, your father is right, you need to leave, you'll just be in the way."

Shinji moved the hair out of Rei's eye to see her gaze fixed on him instead of the ceiling.

"Shinji, you're not naive, you knew this visit wasn't for something happy, right? You knew he needed you for something, didn't you?" Misato continued. "So are you going to be the coward your father says you are, or are you going to prove him wrong and get in Unit–01?"

" _Enough, Captain Katsuragi._ " Gendo ordered. " _We've wasted enough time on him as it is._ "

Misato just stared blankly at Shinji while Shinji kept holding and staring at Rei.

" _Shinji! If you're leaving, don't dawdle._ " Gendo shouted. " _Get out of here!_ "

'I mustn't run away… I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away!' Shinji thought. 'Goddamnit all, what am I about to get myself into?' Shinji looked up at the observation room. "Fine, I'll pilot Unit–01, I won't let you hurt anyone more than you already have, father!"

Gendo smiled approvingly. 'I knew you get in Unit–01 Shinji, and all to protect Rei, how noble.' Gendo thought. 'You're almost too easy to manipulate.'

"Shinji…" Misato said sadly.

"Alright then, Shinji." Ritsuko said. "Follow me, and I'll give you a basic overview of the operating system for Unit–01 so you're not left flapping in the wind."

Father and son caught sight each other as Shinji followed Ritsuko. Shinji glared at his father, while Gendo smiled down on him like God above.

–––

The LCL around Unit–01 was being drained. And Shinji was sitting inside the Entry Plug for Unit–01 in his street clothes, wearing a set of pale blue A10 connectors in his hair.

'What the hell was I thinking, agreeing to this shit?' Shinji thought as he waited patiently inside for whatever was coming next. 'I must be nuts.' Shinji saw a seatbelt thingy attached to the seat he was and put it on. 'The seatbelt concerns me, why would I need it in here? I hope this doesn't get too rough…'

In Central Dogma, Maya was monitoring Unit–01's preparations for launch.

"Now removing Signal Termination Plug." Maya said.

"Inserting Entry Plug now." Hyuga said. "Entry Plug is now locked in place.

"Connecting Entry Plug to Unit–01." Aoba said. "Primary connections have been established… connection complete."

"Flooding Entry Plug with LCL now." Maya said.

The Entry Plug lit up from its darkened state, Shinji looked around and blinked, readjusting to the light. Then, below his feet, he saw an orange liquid start to fill the Entry Plug. "What the hell is this shit?!" Shinji shouted. "Are you trying to drown me or something?!" Shinji then held his breath so he didn't breathe in the liquid.

"Relax, Shinji." Ritsuko said. "It's LCL, once the Entry Plug is filled with it, it will be oxygenated, and you will be able to breathe with it. Just relax and take a deep breath."

"Shinji, don't panic!" Misato said. "You'll get used to it eventually."

Shinji took a deep breath and gagged. "God, this tastes awful… what is this shit made out of?"

"Entry Plug flooding is complete." Maya said. "Booting primary systems now… life support online… internal data recorders are running."

"Connecting main power cable." Aoba reported. "Opening all circuits… internal battery is fully charged… all circuits transmitting… power input is optimal and steady."

"Now establishing secondary connections… electrolyzing LCL now… secondary connections established… A10 nerve connections online and nominal… LCL pressure and charge are within normal operating range." Maya said.

The Entry Plug lit up in a dazzling array of colors, then it was lit up further by a brilliant flash of light, followed by a rainbow of swirling color, then more colors flashed on the walls around Shinji until he could see the inside of Cage #7 displayed all around him. The control panel in front of him lit up and showed that it was ready for use. Shinji looked around himself in amazement. 'Wow, this is so awesome.' Shinji thought. 'It's like some sort of science fiction movie.'

"Configuring language logic interface for Japanese… all preliminary contacts have now been established… performance is nominal… opening bi–directional circuits… communication with the Entry Plug is open on a two–way channel." Maya reported. "Bi–directional circuits are now open and transmitting… transmission strength and modulation is within normal parameters… brain wave pattern and harmonics are normal… pilot life signs are optimal… pilot synchronization ratio is at 42.0%."

"Amazing!" Ritsuko said. "On his first try, he's got the highest sync score on record. He's not even wearing a plugsuit!"

"His patterns are steady, and I'm not seeing anything that would keep him from safely piloting Unit–01, as subjective as that statement is." Maya said. "Nerve connections are clear though 2460… 2770… 2990… absolute borderline passed… nerve connections are steady… Evangelion Unit–01 is online and ready for combat."

"Misato, we're clear here!" Ritsuko shouted. "Transferring command to Tactical Division."

"Alright!" Misato commanded. "Begin launch sequence!"

"Beginning launch sequence now, Captain." Hyuga said. "Releasing primary lock bolts… primary lock blots released… retracting umbilical bridge… disengaging secondary lock bolts… releasing safety locks 1 through 15… all safety locks have been released, Unit–01 is free from lockdown and ready for transfer."

"Roger that." Maya said. "Moving EVA Unit–01 to the launch pad."

Unit–01 moved slowly into position under the launch doors. The lock bolts sealed around the base of the launch pad as the doors above Unit–01 began opening.

"Launch pad locked in place… closest intercept point has been selected… launch path is clear and open… all systems online… board is all green." Maya reported. "Evangelion Unit–01 is ready for launch."

"Understood." Misato said as she turned to Gendo. "Commander, do we proceed to launch?"

"Of course, Captain." Gendo replied with his hands folded in front of him. "The fate of humanity rests on our success this day. If we fail to defeat the Third Angel, humanity and the Earth will be destroyed. Proceed to launch Unit–01, operational command is now yours, Captain Katsuragi."

"Yes, sir." Misato replied.

"Ikari, are you absolutely certain of this?" Fuyutsuki asked as Misato turned back around. "He is your son after all."

"I'm aware of that, and I won't let our relationship cloud my judgment on the matter." Gendo said, smirking slightly. "I'm quite certain, Fuyutsuki."

"Evangelion Unit–01… LAUNCH!" Misato ordered.

The locks on the base of the pad beneath Unit–01 were released with explosive charges, and the pad shot upwards suddenly with great speed.

"WAHHHHHHH!" Shinji screamed once again, not expecting the sudden acceleration up into the path to the surface of Tokyo–3. The force of the sudden acceleration was so strong, it had pressed him quite hard into his seat.

–––

Sachiel was wondering around a building when an alarm sounded. It caught her attention, and she looked around for the source of the disturbance.

The road opened up and two rails shot up from the ground and locked into place. Followed moments later, Unit–01 emerged from the gate and stopped suddenly at the top, and Shinji finally stopped screaming.

" _Shinji, are you alright?_ " Misato asked over the comm line.

"Yeah, let's get this over with." Shinji said, glaring at Sachiel standing imposingly a few blocks away from him. 'I think this might turn into a bad life choice.' Shinji thought. 'I am crazy for getting into this thing, I'm going to die!"'

" _Release final safety locks!_ " Misato ordered. " _Evangelion Unit–01 is clear to engage the enemy! MOVE OUT!_ "

Unit–01 slumped forward into a slightly hunched position but stayed stationary.

" _Shinji, just try and concentrate on walking now._ " Ritsuko said. " _It will respond to focused thought, so just clear your mind and think._ "

"Yeah, that's easier said than done, Dr. Akagi." Shinji said. 'Come on, now… walk.' Shinji thought as hard as he could.

With a creak of metal, Unit–01 lurched forward and began marching towards Sachiel.

" _He did it, he's moving!_ " Ritsuko exclaimed.

" _Alright, Shinji, just be careful._ " Misato ordered.

"Alright, slow down, big guy." Shinji said. "Come on, slow down, I'm not ready yet!" Shinji implored the Evangelion, but it would not slow down its pace. "Fine, you want it this way, let's do it…" Shinji gripped the control yokes tightly and pushed them forward. "CHARGE!"

Unit–01 took off in a full tilt run several blocks towards a curious and unprepared Sachiel.

" _Shinji, wait!_ " Misato ordered. " _You don't even have a weapon yet!_ "

"YAAAAHHHHH!" Shinji screamed as Unit–01 neared its target.

Sachiel's eyes glowed and a field went up around her and spread out, creating a shockwave. Shinji raised his arms and shielded his face. By not keeping an eye on his target Shinji shot right past Sachiel.

"Shit!" Shinji exclaimed. "Turn around, damn it!"

Unit–01 responded, turning on its heel, right into a focused blast coming from Sachiel's eyes. The blast was powerful, and set off another cross–shaped explosion all around him, and knocked Unit–01 a few blocks away right on its ass. Several buildings around him collapsed as he crashed into them, sending debris all over the place.

" _Main power cable has been severed!_ " Hyuga reported. " _Ejecting power cable connector… internal battery backup online… five minutes of power remaining!_ "

A timer inside the Entry Plug appeared displaying "5:00:00" and a separate message saying "INTERNAL POWER SELECTED" and then the clock began counting down. "Ahhhh! Why are you counting down? Stop counting down!" Shinji screamed as he turned towards Sachiel staring at him from several blocks away. "What the hell was that?! A sacrilegious laser beam?! What the hell did I get myself into?!" Shinji looked around and saw that the building had collapsed, and yet the sensors were indicating a small heat signature underneath the rubble. "Someone's trapped, Misato! Send someone out to help them!"

" _Shinji, you don't have time to worry about civilians!_ " Misato yelled. " _Focus on the Angel!_ "

"No, I'm clearing the debris off of them!" Shinji yelled back. "I'm not letting someone else die if I can save them!" Unit–01 and Shinji ignored Sachiel and carefully moved the rubble of the small heat signature. "Ok, nice and easy, I don't want to crush whoever is under here." After clearing it, he saw a little girl underneath the rubble covered in blood. "No, it's a little girl! Misato send help, NOW!"

" _We can't Shinji!_ " Misato yelled. " _Protocol dictates civilians are on their own in this kind of crisis, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few!_ "

"Do not quote _Star Trek_ to me, Misato!" Shinji shouted back. "All lives matter, even this little girl's! I'm not leaving her!"

As Shinji was yelling, a boy in a black track suit came out of a semi–collapsed building and ran over and saw the girl lying on the ground. He looked up at Unit–01 and glared. He picked up the girl gently and ran off.

" _Shinji, look out!_ " Misato screamed. " _You have to get up!_ "

"What?" Shinji asked. 'I hope that little girl will be ok… this is all my fault. I'm not a good enough pilot…' Shinji thought as he saw the boy disappear into the distance. 'I'm just hurting people, why did I even bother to do this?!'

Sachiel had advanced on Unit–01 while Shinji had been occupied. Shinji had just enough time to register Sachiel's left hand shoot towards his face. He couldn't dodge it, and Sachiel grabbed Unit–01 by the head and lifted it off the ground and into the air. Sachiel's right hand shot out and grabbed Unit–01's left forearm in a vice grip.

"Damn it all!" Shinji yelled. "Someone, help! I'm trapped!"

" _Shinji, get the hell out of there!_ " Misato shouted. " _Fight it off!_ "

Sachiel began pulling Unit–01 by the head and arm in opposite directions. She began twisting the captured arm like it was meant to move that way. Inside the Entry Plug, Shinji felt immense pain in his neck and arm. His arm was lit up like some sort of sparking LED light.

"What the hell, why I can feel this?! It hurts!" Shinji shouted. "My arm, it's gonna break!"

Sachiel snapped Unit–01's arm like a twig, and Shinji felt like his own arm had been snapped. "AGHHHHH!" Shinji screamed. "MY ARM, IT'S BROKEN! "

" _No Shinji, it's not you're arm._ " Ritsuko said. " _It's just nerve feedback from your connection to Unit–01!_ "

" _Shinji, calm down and listen to me._ " Misato said. " _Your arm is fine, just ignore it._ "

Sachiel began twisting the arm like a motorcycle throttle, causing blood to spurt from below the armor, and something from beneath the armor sounded like it was straining to stay together.

Back in Central Dogma, alarms were going off from almost every console. The display screen for Unit–01 was showing extreme strain in the left arm and the neck.

"Left elbow has been dislocated… disconnecting nerve connections and rerouting connections." Maya said.

"Ritsuko do something!" Misato shouted. "Help him, or he's going to die!"

'What is going on?' Ritsuko thought as she looked at the sync chart. 'The synchronization ratios are going to into hyper–oscillation. His sync ratio is rising and dropping rapidly? How is that even possible? If they get any higher, he could get seriously injured, or worse…' Ritsuko grabbed the back of Maya's chair in a panic. "Maya, lower the neural feedback a few levels. Quickly, Maya!"

"I'll give it a shot, ma'am!" Maya said as she frantically typed at her console. "It's not working!"

"Try cutting off the bi–directional circuits, try cutting circuits one through fourteen, hurry!" Ritsuko ordered.

"No effect, ma'am!" Maya said. "The signal is being interrupted by something. Ot won't respond!"

"SHINJI!" Misato shouted.

Sachiel had stopped playing with the limp and bleeding arm, and was now focusing her attention on Unit–01's head.

Shinji could see on his display screen, Sachiel's hand in full view, with the hole in the middle of its hand beginning to glow.

" _Shinji get out of the way!_ " Misato shouted over the comm line.

"How, I'm trapped!" Shinji shouted. "OH, SHIT!"

Sachiel's spear shot out its hand, and went right though Unit–01's right eye and out the back of its head. Blood began violently spraying from the wound in all directions.

"The cranial area is going into paralysis!" Ritsuko shouted. "The hemorrhaging is out of control!"

"AGGGGHHHHHHH!" Shinji screamed, clutching his eye. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! IT HURTS! WHY CAN I FEEL THIS? THE EVA IS TAKING THE DAMAGE, NOT ME! RITSUKO HELP ME! MISATO HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Sachiel repeated the attack, sending the spear though the wound again, causing Shinji even more pain. "MAKE IT STOP! I WANT IT TO STOP!" Shinji screamed. "I'M SCARED, I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

Sachiel sent a blast through its hand instead and extended its spear outward, sending an unresponsive Unit–01 flying backwards into a building, and being shish kabobed to the building by the spear, and being held in the air by the wound in its eye.

On the main screen in Central Dogma, Unit–01 was slumped against the side of the building as Sachiel released its spear from Unit–01's head, as blood poured out from the wound and stained the armor red.

"NO, SHINJI!" Misato screamed.

"Cutting all nerve connections… emergency shutdown!" Maya shouted. "The signal pulse is… feeding back?"

"Pull the circuits manually, sever all connections, now!" Ritsuko ordered.

"Negative, ma'am!" Maya replied. "All signals are being rejected. Unit–01 is refusing all external inputs!"

"What about Shinji?!" Misato asked. "Is he alive?"

"The monitors are not responding, we can't tell you his status, Captain!" Hyuga shouted.

"Captain, for all we know, Shinji is dead!" Aoba said. "We lost contact before the spear pierced the eye, and with that kind of shock, it could kill a person."

"But some of the signals were already being terminated when that happened." Maya shot back. "He could be fine, but we can't do anything from here…"

'Shinji…' Misato thought. 'This is all my fault, I brought you here, I told you to pilot… im sorry, Shinji…'

"Captain! Unit–01's internal power will run out in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Unit–01, total shutdown!"

"Fine, I'm rescinding all battle orders!" Misato said. "Pilot recovery is our only priority, force eject the Entry Plug!"

"We have no input, contact with Unit–01 has been lost!" Maya shouted. "We can't eject Shinji!"

"No…" Misato muttered. "What have we done?"

–––

Shinji woke up in a white space, surrounded by light.

"What the hell is this?" Shinji said into the void. "Where am I? What happened to the Angel?" Shinji looked around him. "Am I dead? Did I fail?"

Shinji saw a figure approaching him from the light, someone he recognized, someone who felt familiar.

"Mother, is that you?" Shinji asked as the figure flew towards him with outstretched arms. The figure then changed to a mottled gray one, bleeding from its right eye and having a mangled left forearm. It looked like some abomination that shouldn't exist. "What the hell are you? You're not my mother! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" The figure grabbed Shinji and pulled him into a tight embrace. "NOOOO!"

"You're a Shinigami aren't you?" Shinji screamed. "I don't want to die yet! I have to stop that Angel." Shinji began to struggle. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!" Shinji screamed. "FATHER! MOTHER! ANYONE… HELP ME!"

' _I've missed you my sweet boy… but I guess you can't recognize me yet, or even hear me, Shinji._ ' Yui thought as she hugged her son in the form of an unarmored and injured Unit–01. ' _Your heart isn't open yet, so I guess that means I'll have to take over from here seeing as you're asking for my help. Just know that if you ask for my help, I'll do what I can to help you my sweet son. I couldn't be there for you when your father left you, but I'm here now, whether you realize it or not, I'll protect you._ '

Unit–01's eyes lit back up and its head jerked up, and Shinji awoke sitting in the Entry Plug, which was now in low–power mode. Shinji could see everything around him, but couldn't do anything as his controls were dead. "How are you moving, it says the power is out…" Shinji looked around. "Well, I guess beggars can't be choosers…"

The jaws of Unit–01 strained against the bolts holding it shut. The metal strained and creaked against the muscles flexing underneath the armor. Unit–01's head moved about and its neck joints popped in anticipation of fighting. The bolts finally snapped after a massive amount of effort on the part of Unit–01.

Unit–01 let out a very primitive, reverberating sound from its now free and open mouth. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

Unit–01 leaned forward and stretched its arms out and leaned forward as it growled a low, reverberating tone and it stared down Sachiel.

"Holy shit, this is about to get messy." Shinji said. "I better hold onto something…"

The scene in Central Dogma was one of complete shock as the video feed kept coming in showing a very angry looking Unit–01.

"Unit–01 has reactivated?" Maya said. "The frontal shut–off joint has been broken open!"

"But, the power is out!" Ritsuko shouted in utter disbelief. "The synchrograph is in the negative zone, Unit–01 can't activate, it's not even theoretically possible! Unless… no, that's not possible at all…"

Unit–01 charged forward into a full run, and then, as Unit–01 got close to a still stationary and curious Sachiel, leaped into the air and flew towards her. Sachiel raised her hand and shot out a glowing spear. Unit–01 shifted its weight to dodge it and threw its feet forward to impact the Core and knock Sachiel on her ass. Sachiel activated her A.T. Field and expanded it outward, throwing Unit–01 off. Unit–01 flipped around and landed on all fours. Sachiel fired one of her spears towards her, and Unit–01 rolled to dodge and prepped for its on counter assault. Unit–01 snarled at Sachiel, and its eyes appeared to narrow.

"Oh, shit…" Shinji said as he gripped the control yokes and tried to do something. "What… I can't control it? How are you…" A look of terror crossed Shinji's face. "Oh no, if I'm not in control… what is… what have I done…"

Misato was staring at the main screen in utter disbelief.

"Is Shinji controlling the EVA?" Misato asked. "Is he doing this?"

"He can't be." Ritsuko said. "This level of combat maneuvers is impossible for him to know, the Second Child doesn't even have reaction times this good in the simulator!"

"It looks… angry…" Maya said. "Like a wild animal…"

"It's out of control!" Ritsuko shouted. "It's gone… berserk!"

"I knew you were in there, Yui. I knew you'd protect our son…" Gendo chucked quietly to himself. "Now show me what you've got, dear, send that Angel back to hell."

'Yui… you are alive in there.' Fuyutsuki thought. 'Please… be careful…'

" ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** " Unit –01 roared as it charged Sachiel again at full speed. Sachiel deployed its A.T. Field in response to hold Unit–01 at bay and to protect itself from another assault. Unit–01 impacted the field with an impressive display of orange colored hexagons, and was knocked back, but kept its balance and pressed against Sachiel's A.T. Field.

Shinji was hanging on for dear life inside Unit–01, trying not to get whiplash from all the wild movements Unit–01 was making. "WAHHHHHHH!" Shinji exclaimed. "I know you want to kill the Angel, but try not to kill me in the process!" Shinji saw the A.T. Field crackling in front of him. "What?! It has a _fucking_ shield? That's bullshit!" Another look of terror crossed Shinji's face. "I'm going to die aren't I?! If you can't kill that thing, I'M GOING TO DIE!"

The scene continued to unfold on the monitor in Central Dogma. Where various cameras were tracking several angles of the battle raging above them in the streets of Tokyo–3.

"It's an A.T. Field ma'am, a strong one!" Maya reported. "It's blocking Unit–01's counterattack."

"So the Angels do have them…" Ritsuko said. "And there is no way we know of to counter them effectively… Unit–01's A.T. Field is far too weak to counter that… it's all over…"

From the multiple views, Unit–01 pushed its damaged arm against the A.T. Field, and then the injured arm began to glow the same color as the A.T. Field was, as it appeared to siphon energy off of it. All of a sudden, in a bright white flash, the arm no longer looked mangled, seemed to be completely healed. Unit–01 flexed its repaired left arm and then a barely noticeable glimmer moved outward from Unit–01.

"The arm… restored itself?" Hyuga exclaimed. "Just like it wasn't crushed?"

"A second A.T. Field has been detected… its being deployed by Unit–01!" Maya shouted. "It's neutralizing the Angel's A.T. Field! Field collapse is imminent!"

Unit–01 shoved its hands roughly through the A.T. Field and began trying to tear a hole through it. Sachiel's A.T. Field began to spark at the strain it was under, and slowly turned from an orange color to a strained bluish color around the area where field was being pulled. Finally, Unit–01 tore a massive hole in Sachiel's A.T. Field and then the field suddenly disappeared, as though it were no longer up.

" ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** " Unit–01 roared proudly as the A.T. Field collapsed, leaving Sachiel exposed to its primal fury.

"Nice. I almost died, but its shield thingy is down, so we're all in pain…" Shinji said from inside the cockpit weakly. Shinji saw Sachiel's eye glow again, ready to strike with another energy blast. "Seriously, not again!" Shinji shouted. "Look out… get out of the way!" Shinji shouted to his Entry Plug. "DODGE!"

The blast radiated outwards in a focused beam of yellowish light, but Unit–01 threw up its hands and reflected the attack back towards Sachiel, where it impacted her chest near the Core and sent her flying off her feet for several blocks crashing through several building as she went until Sachiel came to a stop and lay spread–eagle on the ground with bluish–purple blood spraying from several wounds all over her body. Unit–01 leapt forward into the air and landed on top of Sachiel, slamming its knees into Sachiel's Core, causing it to fracture and crack.

'Whoa, that was awesome…' Shinji thought as he rubbed his head. 'That looked like it hurt a fuck ton, and for some strange reason my knees hurt now…' Shinji then turned his attention to his chest which was throbbing painfully. 'These seatbelts suck, they aren't very good at restraining the wearer at all. Someone should fix that…'

Unit–01 was now straddling Sachiel and had its two hands balled up into tight fists. Unit–01 then brought it fist in for a flurry of powerful punches to kill the Angel, with each hand alternated the attack. One hit with the left fist shattered off several shards of Core, a second hit caused the Core to crack all across the visible surface, a third hit caused Sachiel's body to helplessly twitch, a fourth hit left a deep crater in the Core, exposing its inside, and as Unit–01 brought its hand down for what should be the final strike, Sachiel counterattacked.

Sachiel's eyes glowed her Core began to pulsate slowly as she threw her hands up to grab Unit–01. However, Unit–01 reacted quickly, grabbing Sachiel by one of her outstretched arms and spinning her around like a slingshot. Sachiel's Core continued to glow more furiously, until it looked like a solid stream of light.

Shinji could hear an alarm bell going off around him as he vomited violently. The alarm was flashing "14.7g – Excess g–force Load Detected – Reduce Immediately" and the bells and flashing only made Shinji being able to stay conscious even more difficult. "Just let the damn thing go!" Shinji shouted as he puked once again into the fluid floating all around him as he then struggled to stay conscious from the g–forces exceeding 15g.

Unit–01 let go of Sachiel and she flew high into the air above Tokyo–3 before exploding in a brilliant, fire–orange cross–shaped explosion. The shockwave that came off the explosion was more powerful than that of the earlier N2 Mine. It rattled the buildings still standing, but caused no actual damage to the city beyond shattering some windows.

Unit–01 lifted its head up into the air and let out a triumphant sound for all the world to hear. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** " Unit–01 walked forward out of the area that had been flattened by the last part of the fight, and stood imposingly, reflected by the cross still burning in the night sky, with blood still seeping from its wounded eye.

Shinji sat in the Entry Plug in utter shock at what had just happened. "What are you… how did you survive that blast?" Shinji said, staring up into the sky at the now fading plasma cross. "That thing tried to blow us up, and you threw it away like some sort of live grenade, how did you know?"

Unit–01 then slouched over and shut back down, losing whatever power had been guiding it in the fight, while Shinji passed out as well, completely exhausted from a fight he barely participated in.

* * *

July 16, 2015 – NERV HQ, Medical Wing

Misato was marching down to the medical wing to check on Shinji, who had been unconscious for most of the day since being recovered from Unit–01 after the battle.

Misato walked right into his room to see Shinji still asleep in bed.

'Poor kid.' Misato thought. 'What happened to him in that thing? Ritsuko says the data recorders overloaded and shut down. I just hope he wakes up soon.' Misato stood there silently, trying to look as professional as possible in case anyone walked by. 'I hope he'll tell us what happened when he wakes up.'

Misato sat down next to Shinji and patted his arm. "Heya, Shinji. I just came down to see how you were doing. I guess you're still out cold from whatever happened out there last night. I have to get to work soon, so I told them to notify me the minute you wake up." Misato said awkwardly. "I just wanted to tell you before I go upstairs, that I'm proud of you for getting in Unit–01 to fight. You are far braver than anyone gives you credit for, including your father."

Misato stared at Shinji, recognizing something. 'He does look an awful lot like Colonel Ikari… I wonder if he was his uncle or something?' Misato rubbed his arm tenderly. "Your compassion for others reminds me so much of someone I met once with your name. He talked to me about forgiveness and did it to help someone he barely knew. I remember that day, he was so kind to me. You did the same for Rei. You put yourself in grave danger to help her and did something you didn't want to do. I know you hate your father for the way he treats you, but that Shinji gave me two good pieces of advice that day."

**_Flashback_ **

**_"What was the point of that story?" Misato asked, quite irritated at the ramblings of Shinji._ **

**_"That life is short, and there's no time for regrets or grudges." Shinji said._ **

**_"Well, I guess you're right, I can talk to him, but I don't have to like it." Misato said. "Why did you want to help him out anyway? What do you get out of it?"_ **

**_"Well, all I get is the ability to help out a friend, and maybe get him a second chance with his daughter. Now buckle up, we're going to be landing in a minute." Shinji said with a smile. Shinji turned on the intercom "All right passengers, we'll be landing in a few minutes, so please take a seat and buckle up."_ **

**_Shinji gently landed the plane on the cold hard tundra. He pulled the plane towards the maintenance hangar so his passengers could disembark. As Misato got up, Shinji stopped her. "Hey, remember what I said, second chances are something everyone deserves."_ **

**_"Alright, thanks Shinji." Misato gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "For the talk and everything."_ **

**_End Flashback_ **

"Don't hold the grudge against your father forever, I can tell you it will ruin your life, and you'll lose the best thing that ever happened to you…" Misato trailed off thinking of happier times. "You don't have to give him a second chance, but everyone does deserve one, just remember that. I have to go now, but I'll see you later, Shinji." Misato said as she left the room.

–––

Gendo walked into his holo–conference room, and was greeted by five men awaiting him.

"Gentleman." Gendo said. "To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the United Nations Human Instrumentality Committee for the Betterment of Mankind?"

"Don't act stupid, Ikari, you know why we're here." Ambassador Godot said. "We want you to explain these massive repair bills for Tokyo–3 and the Geofront!"

"The use of these machines could be more efficient should they not?" Ambassador Jackson said angrily. "First, Unit–00 goes berserk and damages an isolation room and almost kills the pilot, and then, Unit–01 damages several square block of Tokyo–3 in its uncontrolled rampage against Sachiel!"

"For Christ's sake, Ikari. The repair bill alone is going to cost as much as a small country!" Ambassador Bayuski shouted.

"Gentleman, as you are well aware, Sachiel was sent to Tokyo–3 to begin this war of ours. There will be extensive damage to things, it is unavoidable. Your U.N. military buffoons wasted resources trying to prove that NERV was not needed." Gendo said. "So, as for wasting money, you should blame them for not allowing quicker action to be taken, considering we could have interested the Angel outside of Tokyo–3's city limits."

"Regardless of those idiot's actions, you are focusing too heavily on these Evangelions of yours." Keel said. "You should be focused on the Human Instrumentality Project, as it is our one true goal, fighting the Angels is only a means to an end!"

"I have Dr. Akagi working on that project first and foremost." Gendo replied. "She is trying her utmost to get it back on its original schedule, and I will have a report on that in a few months."

"Just remember, Ikari." Keel said. "Any deviation from the apocrypha or our plan for Instrumentality will result in serious consequences."

"I understand perfectly, Chairman Lorenz." Gendo said with a glint in his eye. "There will be no deviations from anything as long they can be avoided."

–––

Shinji was running down a deserted highway. He was running from something that was chasing him down.

"Stay the fuck away from me!" Shinji shouted as he kept running from the unknown being. Shinji kept looking behind him, and neglected to notice the road in front of him disappear until he felt a rumble. A massive, mottled grey creature came out of the ground. It looked almost human, and its right eye was missing, and was gushing blood. It's hands encircled Shinji, as it tried to grab him.

"Unit–01?!" Shinji screamed. "Get away from me!"

" _Shinji, why can't you hear me?_ " It said in a demonic voice. " _Is your heart really that closed off? I just want to protect you…_ "

"Leave me alone!" Shinji screamed. "I don't want your protection!"

"You're not ready yet, Shinji." It replied in it demonic voice. " _Just ask for my help if you need it my sweet boy…_ "

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU MONSTER!" Shinji roared. "I'M NOT YOUR SWEET ANYTHING!"

The beast opened its mouth again, and instead of words, the only thing that came out was a blood curdling, bone shaking roar. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

"AHHHHHHH!" Shinji woke up with a start, covered in cold sweat, with his heart racing. "What the hell was that?" Shinji muttered as he slowly sat up and looked around. "Looks like a hospital room… I wonder why I'm here? The last thing I remember is the EVA beating that Angel, then it getting thrown in the air and that cross–shaped explosion…" Shinji felt himself for any wounds and couldn't find any. "I guess I'm fine…" Shinji looked around the room again and pinched himself. "So that was just a dream?" Shinji asked aloud as he began staring at his left arm. "Why was it saying it wanted to protect me?"

Shinji saw a pair of slippers on the floor and decided to take a stroll. Light was streaming into the corridor from what Shinji realized was the Geofront. "So I'm back down here again…" Shinji muttered as he came upon a waiting area with the TV on.

" _…Thank you Toshiro. I'm here live at the scene where some of the damage took place yester afternoon and into the late evening. Reports indicate that the military exercises yesterday used live ordinance mistakenly, instead of the low power training ordinance they were supposed to use. Damage outside the city is rumored to have been caused by live cruise missiles and an N2 Mine being deployed. The JSSDF and the U.N. military liaisons for Japan have refused comment. U.N. Special Agency NERV is one site for cleanup of the classified materials, and released a statement that said, in short, they had no idea what happened, and they were simply instructed to clean up the mess and repair the city ASAP. I'll be here live at the scene and report any new details as they become available…_ "

Shinji leaned against a window in the room as the TV continued chattering in the background. He kept staring at his left arm. 'The news didn't say anything about EVAs or Angels… was that all a dream too… did I really get in an Evangelion?'

As if fate or destiny was trying to tell him he did get in an Evangelion, a girl with pale blue hair was rolled by him. As she went by, her uncovered crimson eye was fixed on Shinji until she was out of sight.

"Rei…" Shinji muttered. "Then… it is true… I did get in Unit–01… it wasn't a dream."

Shinji saw his father standing down the hallway, and he greeted Rei warmly. Gendo noticed Shinji out of the corner of his eye and stood back up. Shinji's face fell as his father glared at him as he turned and followed Rei's bed to wherever she was being wheeled to.

'Why is he so nice to that girl?' Shinji thought. 'What does she have that I don't?'

"Such a cold and distant man…" Misato said from behind Shinji. "He didn't even bother to say hello. He just gave you… that look."

Shinji tuned around. "Misato?"

"Hiya!" Misato smiled. "They said you were up and about, so I came down to pick you up! I'm glad you're feeling better, Shinji."

"Yeah, I guess…" Shinji muttered.

"Hey, do you want me to take you to your place?" Misato asked. "It's down here in the Geofront, you've been rated for private quarters, and I hear they're kinda nice!"

"Sure… thanks…" Shinji said.

"Would you rather live with your father?" Misato asked. "I know living alone isn't the best thing in the world. I could get you a petition so you could stay with him if you want."

"No its fine, I'd rather be on my own. It's easier that way." Shinji said sullenly. "That and I doubt my father wants his coward son around him."

"No, I'm sure he wouldn't mind, parents and children should be together." Misato said. "Just let me know you if need me to do anything for you. Don't be afraid to tell me…"

"Just leave me alone, Misato!" Shinji shouted. "It's none of your business, so just butt out!"

"Shinji…" Misato said in a hurt tone. He's acting like I did with Shinji 15 years ago…' Misato thought. 'Maybe it's time I paid back that debt of being helped…'

"You don't have to worry about me, Misato." Shinji said angrily. "I'll be just fine on my own, just like always."

"No, you won't be fine on your own." Misato said.

"What do you know?" Shinji shouted back.

"That as your Commanding Officer, your well–being is my top priority, so you'll be living with me now." Misato stated.

"You can't do that!" Shinji shouted.

"Watch me!" Misato said. "Commanding Officers of underage persons can decide where to house their subordinates, so I'm making an executive decision, deal with it. Go get your stuff, and I'll clear this with my boss." Misato pulled out her phone and dialed.

Brrring… brrring… brrring…

" _Hello?_ " Ritsuko said.

"Hey, Ritz, listen, I'm taking Shinji to live with me!" Misato replied. "So I need you to get me the proper approval from Fuyutsuki, got it?"

" _Misato he was assigned private quarters for a reason!_ " Ritsuko shouted. " _He's not going to become some teenaged fuck toy for you!_ "

Misato laughed. "Ritsuko, do you really think I'm that desperate to get laid, I'd jump some helpless 14–year–old boy? I'm not some dirty old pervert, Ritz." Misato said. "Maybe you just want his nubile body all to yourself."

" _How dare you insinuate anything like that, Misato!_ " Ritsuko screamed.

"Yeah, yeah, just get the approval, ya cougar." Misato quipped "See ya later!" and Misato clicked the phone to hang up. Shinji just stared at her. "Get going, Shinji! We don't have all day!" Misato ordered. "Move it!"

–––

Shinji was staring out the window of Misato's car. 'Great, now I'm stuck living with this one, Ms. Commanding Officer–san.' Shinji thought.

"Jeez, can you smile at all?" Misato asked. "You haven't smiled at all since I met you."

"Can't imagine why is, can you?" Shinji muttered.

Misato grimaced. "Fine, I'll make you smile! Just a short detour before we head back to my place." Misato turned the wheel hard to the right and pulled off the highway.

The damaged car approached a lookout area near a hill. There were binoculars so people could look towards the city, which was still in defense mode, as the buildings were still missing from the city center. Misato shut off the car and got out.

"Well, are you coming or not?" Misato asked.

Shinji reluctantly followed suit. "What are we doing here anyway?" Shinji asked. "This is just a big waste of time…"

"Just wait, it's almost time." Misato said looking at her watch. "Go ahead, Shinji, take a look."

As Shinji glanced out over the landscape, he heard an alarm sound. Hatches all over the ground began to open, and all at once, buildings sprang up from the ground like Atlantis breaching the surface once again. Within moments, the proud skyscrapers of Tokyo–3 were set against the backdrop of the setting sun.

"Wow…" Shinji said quietly. "It's so beautiful."

"Yeah, Shinji." Misato said proudly. "That beautiful sight is still there because of you. You protected our city from being destroyed. When an Angel attacks, they'll be lowered into the ground to minimize damage. It's designed as a citadel to repel and defend itself from the Angels. You saved everyone in that city Shinji."

"It wasn't exactly a heroic decision." Shinji said. "I didn't do it to save Rei, or those people out there, it was just to prove my father wrong… I'm not that noble."

"Whatever your reasons Shinji, you saved the city." Misato said kindly. "That's all that matters. No one can tell you differently either." Shinji began to tear up at Misato's kind words. "Shinji are you ok?" Misato asked. "I didn't mean to upset you…"

"You didn't Misato…" Shinji said tearfully. "It's not you at all… I just wanted to hear those words… from him…"

"Oh, Shinji." Misato said pulling the crying boy into a tight hug. "Let's get you home."

–––

Misato pulled up to large apartment building and parked in the vacant lot. By the time they arrived it was dark out, and the apartment was void of any lights.

As the two got out of the car, Misato grabbed her coat from the back seat. "Do you want me to take your duffel bag?" Misato asked.

"No, I got it, thanks." Shinji said.

The two quietly took the elevator up to the twelfth floor where Misato lived. When it dinged, Shinji followed Misato out of the elevator into the open air pathway to the apartment.

"With any luck your stuff is here already." Misato said as she approached the door, there were four boxes all marked "Atsugi to Tokyo–3" stacked next to the door. "See, I love it when I'm right."

Misato opened the door and walked inside. "Don't mind the mess, I only moved in last week." Misato said she grabbed the boxes and brought them in. "What's wrong Shinji, come on in!"

Shinji stood frozen in the doorway, hesitating on entering the room. "I just… don't want to intrude or anything." Shinji said shyly.

"Don't be silly, Shinji." Misato said. "This is your home now too."

Shinji stepped cautiously over the threshold and into the apartment. "I'm… home." Shinji said with a meek smile on his face.

"Welcome home, Shinji." Misato said happily. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"No, I'm just tired." Shinji said as he yawned. "Where can I sleep?"

"There's a room over there you can sleep in." Misato said as she went to the cabinets and pulled out an instant meal. "We'll have to get more food in a few days, I'm running low…"

'Holy crap…' Shinji thought. 'What happened here? She only moved in a week ago, and caused all… this?' Shinji saw the pigsty all around him with discarded clothes, boxes, and instant meal containers mixed with garbage and empty bottles and cans all over the place. 'How does she live like this… she's a total slob!'

Misato led Shinji to his room, which was clean, and flipped on the light. "This is your room Shinji, now get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning." Misato said. "Goodnight, Shinji. Sleep tight."

"Goodnight… Misato." Shinji said as he put his stuff down and lay on his new bed. As Misato turned off the lights, Shinji started drifting off to sleep while staring at the unfamiliar ceiling above him.

* * *

July 17, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Shinji awoke to light pouring through his window, and the smell of half– burned food coming from the kitchen. "What the hell?" He muttered.

Shinji grabbed a quick change of clothes and went out to see where the awful smell was coming from. He saw Misato in the kitchen near the microwave.

"Misato… what is that?" Shinji asked.

"It's breakfast, silly!" Misato replied, showing him two plates of what looked like lumpy curry over rice.

"Bre… breakfast?" Shinji asked. "Is that edible?"

"Are you insulting my cooking?" Misato asked.

"No… just questioning it." Shinji replied. "Why are we having all this lunch for breakfast exactly?"

"Cause its after 12:00p." Misato said as she stirred her food.

"Why didn't you wake me up?!" Shinji asked.

"You were snoring so much, I figured I should let you sleep. Now, come on and eat before it gets all cold!" Misato said, setting the two plates down and plopping into a chair. "Hey could you get me a can from the fridge before you sit down?"

"Yeah… sure." Shinji said, crossing the room to the fridge. He opened it to reveal nothing but beer and snacks. 'It's amazing she's so thin if she eats all this junk!' Shinji thought.

Shinji grabbed a beer for Misato and walked over to the other fridge in the room, hoping for something other than beer. "Hey, Misato, what's in this fridge over here?"

"Oh, that one doesn't have food in it, just leave him alone, he might be sleeping." Misato replied nonchalantly. "Now, can you give me that beer or what? I'm thirsty!"

"Leave who alone…" Shinji wondered as the fridge popped open, revealing a short penguin. He had a towel in one flipper and a bowl of bath supplies in the other. He waddled off to the bathroom, and then Shinji heard the water running.

"Wh… wh… what was that?" Shinji stammered.

"Oh, him?" Misato said, her mouth full of food. "His name is Pen–Pen. He's cute right?" Misato asked.

"Uh… yeah… I guess…" Shinji said.

"He's a new breed of hot springs penguin, I've had him for a few years." Misato explained. "He pretty friendly, and will eat pretty much anything at all."

"But why is he going to the bathroom?" Shinji inquired.

"Well, he likes taking hot baths." Misato chuckled. "He thinks he's people."

"He thinks he's… people?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, he's really smart!" Misato exclaimed. "Now, enough about him, bring me my beer, no make it two, I'm dying of thirst!"

Shinji sighed and grabbed another beer from the fridge, and handed them both to an impatient Misato. As Shinji sat down, Misato cracked one open and chugged it down whole. "WHOOO YEAH! That's some good stuff! You know life doesn't get any better than this!" Misato looked over at Shinji. "Are you not hungry? You haven't eaten at all since yesterday, right? Don't worry, just cause its instant, doesn't mean it's not good."

"I'm just not used to food like this." Shinji said. "I've never really had instant food before."

"Are you being finicky?!" Misato shouted, leaning over the table threateningly. "You know it's impolite to refuse food just because you've never had it before!"

"That's not what… what I mean is… I'm sorry." Shinji stammered. "I'll try it… Misato… I'm sorry."

"Awww, isn't that sweet." Misato said. "Eating with someone else sure beats sitting alone, right?"

"Yeah… I guess…" Shinji said as Misato sat back down, and he took a bite of the food in front of him. 'Holy shit… this is awful!' Shinji thought. 'It's amazing she hasn't burned something down or died from eating this… I guess I'll have to cook like I did at sensei's, but here it'll be for my survival. But I don't want to be rude, so I'll eat this… bleh!'

The two ate in silence until they had both finished all the so–called food in front of them. Misato had chugged four beers since breakfast started, and was now feeling quite good, and Shinji decided to take a chance.

"Hey… Misato?" Shinji asked. "If it's alright, I don't mind cooking, I'm really good, and can make lots of different stuff…."

"Hmmm." Misato said. "Well that does bring up something important, I guess we do have some chores to split up." Misato had a sly smile on her face. "And there's only one way to do that fairly…"

"How, exactly?" Shinji asked.

"Stick out your hand Shinji." Misato said. When Shinji did Misato started. "Rock… Paper… Scissors!"

After several rounds of play, the chores had been split, with Shinji, thankfully being wholly in charge of cooking and cleaning, with a few sporadic chores

"So, now that that's settled, why don't you move your stuff into your new room?" Misato said as she grabbed another beer.

"Alright, Misato." Shinji said. "But then I guess I have to start cleaning in here, seeing as it's my day for that."

"You're such a good boy Shinji!" Misato said happily. "Oh, and another thing, Shinji, I've been named your guardian by NERV."

"Really, you're my guardian now?" Shinji said. 'Well, at least she's livelier then sensei… but she's so immature, can she actually handle taking care of a kid?'

"So as my first official act as your guardian, and because you're still a kid any everything, I enrolled you in the local junior high school, how's that sound?" Misato asked.

"Shitty." Shinji said. "Why do I have to go to school, doesn't being an EVA pilot exempt me from that?"

"Shinji your well–being is my top concern, and that includes your education." Misato said. "I would be remiss if I didn't make sure you went to school. Also, being an EVA pilot doesn't exempt you from school, Rei goes."

"Great, a dangerous job with no perks." Shinji said sarcastically. 'How nice… more people that won't want to be my friend that will want to make fun of me…'

"Stop whining so much, Shinji. It wot be that bad." Misato said. "Seeing as today is Friday, you'll have the weekend off, and you start on Monday."

"Wonderful…" Shinji said sullenly as he grabbed a garbage bag and started throwing out some of the garbage. "Just wonderful…"

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 42.0% (New)  
Asuka – 35.7% (+0.9%)  
Rei – 15.1% (No Change)  
Mari – N/A

It's time to officially welcome everyone to Tokyo–3! It's a pleasure to be here with you all after all this time! Please watch out for cross–shaped explosions, falling Angel pieces, N2 Mines, and any other hazard listed in your travel brochure. This is it folks, this is where Angels will fall, love will be gained and lost, plots will be hatched, and where the fate of the world and humanity itself lay in the balance. This is Tokyo–3.

So, this chapter is based on Episode 1 and 2 of the anime, if you couldn't already tell. Also based heavily on the manga as well.

As for the name of this story, Episode IV: The Last Hope, it can refer to several things mentioned in this chapter, NERV, the Evangelions, the pilots in general, or Shinji. Whichever way you take the title, it's meant to be interpreted in different ways.

So, Shinji has met his father again, gotten in the fucking robot, and witnessed Unit–01 berserk the fuck out of Sachiel. As for Shinji's attitude, it's based more on the manga, where he's a lot more sarcastic and less whiny than the anime (and way less whiny than rebuild). I've turned that sarcasm up a bit to fit how I think Shinji would act, while making sure he's still insecure and unsure of himself, a little wary of the EVA.

As for Shinji resisting such high g–forces while Unit–01 was tossing Sachiel out of the city, it is an inherited trait from his uncle, who, without training was able to hold out from passing out against 7g of force. Shinji, being fit, and having this genetic oddity, even without training, Shinji has picked up his namesake's ability to pretty much pilot anything he wants to, including an Evangelion. That and the EVA was only spinning for a minute or so, so it was not a sustained 15g throughout. Boom, science.

Now for the scene where Yui speaks, the EVAs in my story will try communicating with the pilots from time to time, however some of the pilots aren't ready to learn the truth yet, like Shinji isn't ready to know, which is why she shows up as the EVA in his vision.

Now, the girl and the rubble and the track suit wearing boy, you all should know who they are without being told, as no one is that naïve.

As for why I chose to make this chapter so long, in fact it clocks in at over 17,000 words, and why I didn't break it up into two separate chapters? Well, episodes 1 and 2 (and the manga's first volume) chronicle Shinji's arrival in Tokyo–3, as does this chapter. Breaking it up didn't feel right, so by the end, Shinji is living with Misato, and she tells him he's being enrolled in school. Also, by not breaking things up by episode, Chapters 5 and 6 will do the same thing, by combining the two part story of the 4th and 5th Angels (episodes 3 & 4 and 5 & 6 respectively), which has been gone over in three official media formats (anime, manga and the entirety of 1.11) I can tell my story without adding unnecessary chapters to an already recognizable story. Essentially, I don't want to just copy the anime, so I'm doing something a bit different.

Some stuff you may have noticed has been changed already, and the same will happen going forward, minor changes to start with, but as the story goes on, there will be big splits from canon in key events in the series that will shape the characters a bit differently, especially when Mari arrives and begins to wreck her special brand of havoc in the characters' lives.

Finally, a note. Mari may have returned in the last chapter of Episode III but as of right now in Episode IV, she is still trapped with Lilith for the time being. She won't be arriving until after Ramiel tries back–dooring its way into the Geofront, so in Chapter 7, she will arrive, in typical Mari fashion, spectacularly.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	5. School of Hard Knocks; Shamshel Attacks

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode IV: The Last Hope

* * *

Chapter 5 – School of Hard Knocks; Shamshel Attacks  
August 5, 2015 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School

Shinji was walking downstairs from the classroom to head to NERV, but he was stopped first by the Class Representative for Class 2–A.

"Mr. Ikari, are you adjusting to everything alright?" She asked. The class rep was a girl with shoulder blade length brunette hair, tied up in short twin pigtails with purple beaded hair ties. She had several freckles on her kind face, and hazel colored eyes, and her name was Hikari Horaki.

"I'm doing right, Horaki–san, thank you for asking." Shinji said meekly.

"I'm glad to hear it!" Hikari replied happily. "I'd be doing a poor job as class rep if you weren't. Just remember, if you need anything, just ask, ok?"

"Sure thing, Horaki–san." Shinji said meekly. "Thank you."

Shinji was now at his shoe locker getting ready to leave school for the day. Rei walked silently past him and left to go wherever she goes after school, while Shinji wanted to go home to Misato's apartment, he had other plans. Shinji was walking to NERV HQ for some EVA battle simulations. In the time since he arrived in Tokyo–3, he hadn't really made any friends at all. He kept to himself, and had been left alone. Other than introducing himself on the first day he went to class, no one had said anything to him at all. The only thing Shinji actually did at school was struggle to stay awake from the teacher's boring pre–Second Impact life lectures and how they need to rebuild the world.

'Well, at least people are leaving me alone… Horaki–san is nice enough, but she's just doing her job… so is she really being nice?' Shinji said. 'It's already far better than my last school though, yet somehow… it's just as lonely.'

As Shinji approached the top–side entrance and swiped himself in and took the funicular train down to the Geofront.

–––

Ritsuko and Misato were walking down to Simulation Cage #2 for the training simulation they were going to be running with Shinji.

"Hey, Ritsuko, I'm worried about Shinji." Misato said.

"What are you worried about, his training for the EVA is going well." Ritsuko replied. "He's far exceeding anyone's expectations!"

"It's not about the EVA, Ritsuko." Misato said sullenly. "It's his… personal life. I don't think he has any friends at school. I got him a cell phones so that if made a few friends they could call and chat, or text or whatever kids do on those damn things, but it hasn't rung once. He hasn't used it all."

"Well, I would guess that Shinji isn't exactly the sort of person who makes friends easily. I mean his physical well–being may be fine, but from my observations, he's just a very submissive person, who does as he is told." Ritsuko said. "He also seems afraid to get close to others like he's afraid of getting hurt."

"Is that normal?" Misato asked.

"Well it's not unheard of, it's called the Hedgehog's Dilemma." Ritsuko said.

"You mean those little spiky animals?" Misato asked. "Like Sonic the Hedgehog?"

"Yes, Misato, like Sonic the Hedgehog." Ritsuko sighed. "Anyway, as I was saying, even though a hedgehog may want to become close with another hedgehog. The closer they get the more they injure each other with their spines."

"Well, that's weird, how does that apply to Shinji." Misato asked.

"Because, some people withdraw protect themselves for getting hurt." Ritsuko replied. "The reason Shinji seems so withdrawn is because he's afraid of being hurt."

"Well, he's just going to have to learn… someday… that part of growing up means finding a way to interact with others while ignoring pain." Misato said sadly.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Misato." Ritsuko said. "He's at least got a friend in you, right?"

"Yeah… he's got a friend in me." Misato replied. 'If he'd open up to me…' Misato thought.

–––

Unit–01 was suspended inside a holographic chamber. It was attached by the shoulder pylons to an apparatus spending it from the ceiling. Its feet were off the ground so it would have a free range of movement.

There was a selection of projectile weapons fitted with lasers instead of ammo, set up along the wall. The weapons, while similar looking to human sized weapons, were correctly proportioned for an Evangelion to handle and fire. Among the select were a Pallet Rifle that looked similar to a Steyr ACR assault rifle, a sniper rifle that looked like a Barrett M99, a sub–machine gun with a slim profile designed like FN Herstal P90, a handgun type weapon designed similarly to an IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX, a huge Gatling Gun modeled after an M134 Minigun, and finally a rocket launcher with a magazine, modeled after an Shoulder–launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (or SMAW).

Unit–01 grabbed the Gatling Gun off the wall and was waiting for the simulation to start.

Shinji was inside the Entry Plug, waiting. He was finally dressed in a plugsuit. It was mainly a bright blue color on the waist, lower torso, arms and hands. There was a red highlight on the collar, the plugsuit had a pale blue chest area that was built up like plate armor. Set just beneath the chest armor, there was a small, dark grey orb in the center of his chest. There were also black lowlights on the underside of his arms and running down the sides of his legs coming down from where the chest armor met the rest of the plugsuit. Shinji was, like always, also wearing his pale blue A10 connectors in his hair.

The comm line opened, and Ritsuko started talking. " _Shinji, is everything alright in there?_ "

"Yes, Dr. Akagi." Shinji replied. "Everything seems to be working normally. I'm getting used to breathing the LCL."

" _So, Shinji, have you finished memorizing the positons of all the EVA emergence locations, the emergency power junctions the armory and munitions buildings, and the emergency recovery zones?_ " Ritsuko asked.

"I think so." Shinji replied. "There are a lot of them."

" _Good, Shinji, just keep working at it._ " Ritsuko said. " _Well, Shinji, you've been cleared on all the weapons except the Gating Gun, so today is your qualification test that. Afterwards, we'll move on to close–in weapons, alright?_ " Ritsuko flipped a switch. " _So we'll start the simulation when you're ready._ "

"I'm ready, Dr. Akagi." Shinji said. 'I can't wait to put down these guns, I may be pretty good with them, but I don't like them…' Shinji thought.

" _Alight, beginning the test now._ " Maya said. " _Activating induction mode, running simulation, difficulty level set to hard._ "

" _Good luck Shinji, just remember to focus!_ " Misato said encouragingly.

Shinji had had several training sessions like this, where they tested his skill with the other weapons on the wall. He had passed each test with flying colors, and being rated a basic marksman on their weapons qualified him for training with the Gatling Gun and rocket launcher. Shinji refused to train with the rocket launcher, as he thought it would cause too much collateral damage and civilian casualties.

'I just don't want another little girl to get hurt because of me…' Shinji thought.

When Maya activated the simulator, the room lit up in a dazzling array of colors. Then the room materialized into what looked like a replica of Tokyo–3. Shinji looked around in a daze, the buildings around him were the ones he had seen up close three weeks ago during his battle with an Angel. Also, once again for his training, he was facing a holographic replica of the Angel he had, or rather who Unit–01 had just killed, Sachiel.

Shinji raised up the Gatling Gun and held it steady.

" _Just remember, short bursts._ " Misato said. " _Otherwise you'll waste ammo and give the target cover._ "

"Ok, Misato." Shinji replied softly. He squeezed the trigger on the control yokes and muttered to himself. "Center the target, pull the trigger. Center the target, pull the trigger. Center the target, pull the trigger."

The Gatling Gun spun arounds, releasing holographic rounds and sending them towards each successive holo–Sachiel, causing them to vanish. Shinji continued firing at each target, whether moving or not until the test concluded.

Meanwhile in the control room, the three people present were having a conversation about the pilot in question.

"You know, I can't help but wonder why Shinji agreed to pilot again." Maya said as she monitored Shinji's progress.

"I thought he'd run away after the last battle, but he didn't." Ritsuko stated. "But he surprised me by staying."

"Well, Shinji just has something to prove is all." Misato said. "And he's a good kid who does as he's told."

"He wasn't like that on the catwalk three weeks ago." Ritsuko replied. "He said he wanted his father to go to hell and take Unit–01 with him. Like I told you before, Misato, he's a submissive person, he'll do as he's told once he stops being so stubborn."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Misato said sullenly. "So, when is the test over?"

"In an hour or so, I really want him ready to use that thing if he needs it." Ritsuko said. "After that you can bring him on home."

–––

Misato and Shinji were on their way back home from NERV. They had just gotten off the car train, and were exiting the access tunnel.

"Shinji, how was school today?" Misato asked.

"It was ok." Shinji replied while staring blankly out the window.

"Are you sure? You sound kinda down." Misato gave him a worried glance. "Are you sure everything there is going ok? You can tell me anything, Shinji, I'm here to help you…"

"Its fine, I keep to myself mostly." Shinji replied. "Its way better than my old school, they never left me alone there, always teasing me and hitting me, it's nice to be… invisible."

"You used to get hit?!" Misato shouted. "Why did nobody do anything?! What about your old guardian?! Why didn't he step in?!"

"I never told him, he couldn't do anything anyway. The teachers never did, they just saw me as the child of _Gendo Ikari – Wife Murderer_. I was judged because of him, and I couldn't do anything about it." Shinji kept staring out the window. "Besides, I can handle myself. It happened for long enough, it doesn't even hurt anymore…"

'Shinji…' Misato thought. 'Life hasn't been fair to either, has it? I guess we really are a lot alike, almost like destiny brought two souls together to help one another…'

"Is the story getting too real for you, Misato?" Shinji asked. "Or is something wrong with you."

Misato looked over at Shinji again. "What do you mean? I just…"

"Couldn't think of a way to make me feel better?" Shinji asked. "It doesn't matter, as long as people leave me alone, I'm just fine! Friends just end up disappearing and leaving you… alone…" Shinji said sullenly as a tear rolled down his eye. 'Like that girl from so long ago…' Shinji thought. 'Why did she leave me?'

"Shinji… I'm sorry." Misato replied. "I just…"

"Just pull over here, I have to pick stuff up for dinner." Shinji said gruffly. "I'll walk the rest of the way back."

–––

Misato was taking a shower after dropping Shinji off on the side of the road. While she was soaping herself up, she was talking to herself about Shinji.

"I wonder what's up with Shinji…" Misato said to the shower wall. "I mean, he's sometimes so quiet, and sometimes he's a dick, but he's been through so much. His file mentions nothing, save for his mother's death and father abandonment… I guess he just needs a friend, but I can't be his friend… I just don't get him… I want to help him so badly, but I'm just not sure how to. He's not exactly open about things…"

Misato rinsed the soap off herself and sighed. "Well, at least a nice hot shower at the end of a long day can make things better… maybe I'll just take a bath later too, to relax. I wish I knew what could calm Shinji down though…he's so tightly wound, it's only a matter of time before he snaps and does something… drastic."

Shinji was walking towards the apartment. 'I hope Misato's not mad.' Shinji thought. 'But, she was asking questions she wasn't prepared to hear the answer to. Sometimes the truth is just harsh, there's no way around it.' He pushed open the door and walked into the apartment. Shinji realized he didn't actually unlock the door. 'Great, she left the door unlocked again. Someone could just walk in, like any perv off the street. Misato is just so careless. Whatever…'

Shinji wake silently into the kitchen, after locking the front door. Shinji got hard to work on dinner, and beginning to cook a simple stir–fry. Pen–Pen waddled up to Shinji while he was cooking and began to pull at his pants leg.

"Wark!" Pen–Pen squawked sullenly.

"Oh, hello Pen–Pen." Shinji replied to the sad bird. "I bet you're hungry, aren't you?"

"Wark, wark!" Pen–Pen squawked in reply.

Shinji went into the fridge and gabbed a package of beef jerky. "I got this especially for you. I figured since the package disappeared, you might like one to yourself."

Pen–Pen wrapped his fins around Shinji's leg. "WARK!"

Shinji patted Pen–Pen's head. "You're welcome." Shinji replied, as Pen–Pen ran off to the couch and ripped open the package of jerky, eating all of it in a rush before slumping over in a happy daze. "Silly bird…"

Shinji kept cooking while Misato got dressed. 'So, he came back without saying hello. Guess he's still mad…' Misato thought as she went out into the kitchen to relax. She grabbed three beers from the fridge, and cracked one open and chugged it. "Ahhhhh!" Misato exclaimed. "There is nothing like a cold beer after a hot shower, right Shinji?"

"Misato, I don't drink." Shinji said as he served dinner. "I'm a minor, remember?"

"You're no fun." Misato replied, digging into her dinner. "So, Ritsuko called me with some results from today's test. You're reaction time has improved incredibly since you started piloting. But one area of improvement she can see is, you need to respond faster to orders. That lack of response time is dangerous, and could become a problem down the line."

"I can't help it, Misato." Shinji replied. "I'm just not cut out for this shit. Besides, it's not like I'm piloting because I _want_ to."

'I thought he was piloting because he wanted to… I've got to set him straight…' Misato thought as she stared at Shinji in shock. "What kind thinking is that, Shinji?!" Misato shouted. "The lives of all mankind are riding on you as a pilot, if you think like that in combat, you're liable to get yourself killed!"

"Whatever, I don't really care." Shinji replied as he played with his food. "It doesn't matter when I die, it'll happen when it's supposed to, EVA or not."

Misato slammed her beer down and stood up. "What the hell kind of thinking is that?! _You_ may be open and accepting of death, but the _rest_ of us aren't quite as accepting of that. You're an important pilot to us, your life is no longer yours to live! I don't want you to die, stop thinking that way!"

Shinji swiped his hand across the table, sweeping his plate off the table and leaving a mess on the floor of his uneaten food. His face looked livid as he stood up and silently walked away from Misato. 'So I belong to them, do I?' Shinji thought. 'And here I thought Misato took me in because she liked me… does anyone in the world care about me?'

"Hey, I'm talking to you Shinji where the hell do you think you're going?" Misato asked.

"Bed." Shinji replied angrily. "I'm done with this conversation. You made your point very clear, nothing is my decision anymore, and can only die if I'm ordered to. Just go out and kill angels, and eventually, I'll be told I can be in control of my life again, if I don't die before hand. I'll see you in the morning."

"Shinji, get back here and clean up this mess!" Misato shouted.

"It's your turn for cleanup tonight, Misato, look at that chart of yours." Shinji said coldly. "Goodnight…" Shinji slammed the door to his room. 'It's not like I have anything worth fighting for anyway…' He thought he laid back on his bed and looked at the ceiling.

Shinji left Misato standing alone and confused. "What did I just do?" Misato muttered. "I was just trying to motivate him…"

* * *

August 6, 2015 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

"And so humankind was about to face its greatest trial. In the last year of the twentieth century. The small, fast moving meteor from outer space collided with the continent of Antarctica. The continent's massive ice cap was melted almost instantaneously…" Nebukawa no Sensei droned on.

Shinji was sitting in Class 2–A, he was deathly bored from Nebukawa no Sensei droning on about pre–Second Impact life and all his other nonsensical nonsense. Shinji was trying to keep to himself. He was staring around the room looking for something to do, and trying desperately to stay conscious. His red laptop was in front of him, but the screen was blank as Shinji didn't see a need to do anything on it.

After a few minutes, Shinji's eye's focused on Rei, who was staring out the window, looking at nothing in particular. She still had a cast on her right arm, and some bandages on her left arm and leg, and she still had an eyepatch over her right eye.

'Why does father view her more favorably than me?' Shinji thought as he stared at the pale blue haired girl. 'Why does she always look so emotionless? I wonder if she is lonely too. She seems so distant, just like my father, just like me…'

**_♪_ _Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

"Oh… I guess the bell means it's time for lunch… class dismissed." Nebukawa no Sensei said in his monotone voice.

Hikari stood up and spoke in a very authoritative manner, the kindness on her face evaporating as she executed her role as class rep perfectly. "Rise… Bow… Sit!"

As soon as the ritual was over, Shinji pulled a bento out from his desk and put in his SDAT, attempting to ignore the world around him, as usual.

**♪Your subtleties**   
**They strangle me**   
**I can't explain myself at all**   
**And all that wants**   
**And all that needs**   
**All I don't want to need at all**

**The walls start breathing**   
**My mind's un–weaving**   
**Maybe it's best you leave me alone**   
**A weight is lifted**   
**On this evening**   
**I give the final blow**

**When darkness turns to light**   
**It ends tonight**   
**It ends tonight♪**

The class got up and many left the room. Many left to go outside to eat lunch, or go buy it from the cafeteria. Only a few stayed behind in the room. Hikari, Shinji, Rei, and a bespectacled boy, who was grabbing a camera and a model of a VTOL attack craft in JSSDF markings out of his bag, he had light brown hair and brown eyes. Kensuke Aida was a strange boy. His one friend wasn't in class that day, so he kept to himself, and acted a little stranger than usual.

Hikari walked over to Kensuke as he started playing with the model and recording himself flying it around. She snuck up behind him to catch him unawares.

"Mr. Aida, did you deliver that printout I told to give to Mr. Suzuhara yesterday?" Hikari asked forcefully.

Kensuke reached around inside his desk and stuttered haplessly while trying to respond. "Well… um… er…. I went over there yesterday… but no one was home at all."

"Mr. Aida, you are Suzuhara's friend aren't you?" Hikari asked. "Aren't you just a little bit worried about him?"

"Well… I haven't seen or heard from him since that massive robot attack." Kensuke stated. "You don't think he was injured do you?"

"Ugh… enough of your nonsense, Kensuke." Hikari dropped all pretense. "The conspiracy theories you have are out of control sometimes. What happened three weeks ago was a training accident."

"The hell it was class rep, there was a battle in the city, and we were kept in lockdown most of the day inside the shelters. But something was going on up there, because N2 Mines don't have nuclear fallout, they could've let us out, but they didn't. There were wrecked VTOLs everywhere when we came back up the next morning, and they weren't brought down by any N2 Mine. There was a round, charred hole in one, I saw it for myself, and they hadn't cleaned up the evidence yet." Kensuke spouted out. "And haven't you heard of the giant robot that defended us against whatever it was?"

"No, Kensuke, I don't subscribe to all this." Hikari said. "And the robot hasn't been confirmed by anyone, they even said no one was injured by whatever actually happened."

"Come on, they had the Atsugi and Iruma VTOLs out there in addition to the ones stationed at Tokyo–3, and that explosion, and the collapsed buildings? Someone must have gotten hurt." Kensuke rattled off.

The door to the classroom slid open roughly, and framed in the doorway was a boy dressed in a black tracksuit with broad white stripes, and narrow purple stripes on the shoulders, broad white stripes running down the sides of the pants, jet black hair, and dark brown eyes, and a gruff look on his face, was Toji Suzuhara.

"Toji!" Kensuke exclaimed.

"Suzuhara…" Hikari said quietly. 'Thank god you're all right…' Hikari thought happily.

Toji threw his bag down on a desk. "Where the hell is everybody?"

"Where the hell have you been, Mr. Suzuhara?!" Hikari shouted. "You haven't been in class in three weeks, and no one called to confirm why you were out!"

"When the evacuation order was given a few weeks ago. My sister and I got separated from my pop, and we got lost, then my sister ran off to help someone up, and then she just saw that massive beast, coming towards us, then that robot came out of the ground, the robot got knocked into the building we were standing near, and the ruble crushed my little sister." Toji explained. "Then the robot pulled the rubble off of her, and just looked at us. I took her to the hospital and stayed with her since then, seeing as pop and granddad had to work, she would've been alone if I came to school…"

"Toji, you have to tell me more about that robot!" Kensuke said excitedly.

"Kensuke!" Hikari said admonishingly. "What the hell is your problem, his sister is hurt!" Hikari turned to Toji. "Is she ok, Toji, is she seriously hurt. Is she still…"

"She's alive… barely." Toji said sullenly. "Her body got pretty crushed by the rubble, her head is all swollen and she hasn't woken up at all since that day…" Toji slammed his fist down on the desk "That stupid pilot, running at that thing like an idiot, it's all his fault Sakura got hurt! I wanna kick that pilot's goddamn ass for hurting her."

"Suzuhara, you will do no such thing!" Hikari shouted. "The pilot got the rubble off of Sakura! He was probably trying to save her!"

"Yeah, and the pilot did defeat the whatever, right?" Kensuke said.

"It doesn't matter!" Toji shouted back. "The pilot almost killed her because they were so fucking careless!"

Kensuke sighed. "Well then, I guess you haven't heard the rumor about the new transfer student have you?"

"What transfer student?" Toji asked.

"Him, over there." Kensuke motioned towards an unawares Shinji, who was still listening to the SDAT. "He transferred in right after the incident with the giant robot. It's an odd coincidence isn't it?"

"Whatever, I'm not going to beat someone up until I know for sure." Toji said. "I don't just senselessly hit people, Kensuke."

"Suzuhara!" Hikari said sternly. "You shouldn't hit anyone! That pilot was only doing their job!" Hikari looked over at Shinji. "I don't think he could hurt anyone intentionally."

"Whatever, class rep." Toji said. "What do you know about that kid anyway?"

**_♪_ _Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

The students filed back into the room and took their seats. Shinji put his SDAT away, and Rei stayed in the same position she had been in all day, staring out the window. Nebukawa no Sensei walked back into the room, and Hikari sprang into action. "Rise… Bow… Sit!"

Nebukawa no Sensei began his droning on about the pre–Second Impact world, and while the class was being bored near to the death once again, Shinji received an instant message on his laptop.

[...  
PRIVATE CHAT WINDOW

NEW PRIVATE MESSAGE!

FROM: HOTKATANA  
–IS IT TRUE THAT YOU'RE THE PILOT OF THAT GIANT ROBOT? Y/N

FROM: SHYBOY6601  
...]

'What the hell?' Shinji thought as he stared at the message on the screen in front of him. He then looked around the room, and saw behind him that two girls were on their computer. When he caught their eyes, they waved back at him. 'How do they know?'

Another message popped up, and Shinji sighed deeply. 'Oh, the hell with it, what could happen?'

[...  
PRIVATE CHAT WINDOW

FROM: HOTKATANA  
–IS IT TRUE THAT YOU'RE THE PILOT OF THAT GIANT ROBOT? Y/N  
–IT'S TRUE, ISN'T IT?  
–Y/N

FROM: SHYBOY6601  
–YES  
...]

The moment Shinji sent the message, the entire class looked around to Shinji.

'Mr. Ikari what did you do?' Hikari thought. 'I just hope Toji doesn't lose his cool…'

'No fucking way he is the pilot!' Kensuke thought. 'One of my conspiracy theories was actually fucking right!'

'That son of a bitch…' Toji said. 'I'm gonna pound his stupid ass…'

'Shinji, why admit you are the pilot of Unit–01? What is the point?' Rei thought. 'Your father is right… you are a fool…'

Hikari scoffed at her computer, and Kensuke almost fell out of his chair. Rei simply didn't care what the commotion was, and Toji looked on in utter disgust as the other kids in the room swarmed around Shinji.

"Hey guys sit down!" Hikari shouted. "We're still in class, show some respect!"

"Quiet class rep, we're busy!"

"Yeah don't listen to her!"

"Cut it out, you guys!" Hikari shouted. "Get back in your seats!"

"Ignore her, guys."

So as Shinji cringed from the people suddenly crowding around him, he was bombarded with questions. 'Figures they only care about me now '

"It is so cool you got chosen a pilot."

"So, how did you get chosen to pilot?"

"Did you have to take a test?"

"Were you scared?"

"Does it have a special attack?"

"What does the cockpit look like?"

"I'm not really allowed to talk about it…" Shinji replied meekly. "It's all classified information…"

"Aww, man!"

"Come on, just tell us a little bit…"

"Please, Shinji?"

"What's it called?"

"What was the thing you fought? Was it like Godzilla?"

"Come on Shinji, just tell us!"

Shinji finally succumbed to the peer pressure and told them some small stuff about the program. 'God… if I tell them something, maybe they'll leave me alone.' Shinji sighed. "Well, they call it EVA or Unit–01, and the thing I fought, they called it an Angel… I don't really know much there than that."

Kensuke was typing out everything he could hear Shinji saying while Toji looked on angrily, his fists clenched, and his teeth gritting.

**_♪_ _Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

–––

Toji and Kensuke were outside the school as the other students packed up for the day. They were talking to Shinji, or more accurately, Toji was taking out his pent up rage on Shinji, who was confused as to why there was a problem.

"So, new kid, you think you're hot shit?" Toji shouted as he cornered Shinji outside. "You almost killed my little sister Sakura you asshole! Your carelessness almost cost me the person I love most in this world, my little sister!"

"The guy in the tracksuit that took the little girl away, that was you?" Shinji said. "I cleared the rubble off of her! What the hell did I do wrong?!"

"Wrong answer, new kid." Toji socked Shinji with a fast right hook to the cheek.

Shinji fell to the ground hard. He struggled back to his feet, and faced Toji defiantly.

"Toji, you can't go around hitting important pilots!" Kensuke shouted.

"Shut up, Kensuke, this doesn't concern you." Toji said. "Well, aren't you the tough guy. Most people would be smart enough to stay down."

"Most people should be smart enough to not blame the person who tried to help!" Shinji exclaimed. 'I've had enough of this shit… it was bad enough when I didn't do anything to deserve being hit, but now… I have to stand up for myself eventually.' Shinji thought.

"What did you say to me, new kid?" Toji asked, balling up both his fists.

"What, are you, deaf and stupid? I said you're blaming me for what happened. I didn't want to get in the stupid Evangelion, and wasn't even trained how to use it! I was told to ignore your sister under the rubble, but I dug her out anyway, against my orders." Shinji squinted his eyes. "So what do you want me to do? Kneel down and beg for your forgiveness? Fat chance, I was trying to help, and I'm sorry your sister got hurt, but it wasn't my fucking fault!"

Toji tackled Shinji to the ground. "Shut up!" Toji raised his fist and punched Shinji with his right hand. "You think you're so damn special?!" Toji punched him again with his left. "You're not, you're just some damn fool." Toji socked him again with his right. "You're just a jerk who doesn't have any clue what he's doing in that giant thing!" Toji socked him again with his left. "You're a danger to everyone around you!" Kensuke ran forward and tried to pull Toji off Shinji, but was having trouble.

Unbeknownst to the boys below, one of the students tidying the room had seen everything happen, and Rei now thought it important to say something. "Class Representative Horaki, I believe you may want to go to the courtyard." Rei said quietly.

"Why is that?" Hikari asked as she cleaned off the last desk.

"It appears student Suzuhara is being restrained quite inadequately by student Aida." Rei said plainly. "Pilot Ikari may need some assistance."

"What?!" Hikari shouted. "Rei, I'll be back soon, you can leave now, don't worry about the room, just go home!" Hikari ran out of the room at top speed to the courtyard to see Kensuke finally pull Toji off of a dazed Shinji.

"SUZUHARA, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Hikari shouted. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO HIT ANYONE!"

"He had it coming class rep!" Toji shouted back. "He gave me lip, so I gave him a bloody lip! He deserved it for what he did!"

"No he didn't!" Hikari said, poking his chest. "Now get lost, and leave him alone, whatever grievance you think you had against him is even now!"

"No, class rep I was just…" Toji Said.

"Leaving!" Hikari said shoving a stunned Toji. "Get out of here, before you do something I can't forgive you for!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Toji asked.

"Nothing, now get lost!" Hikari said. "Kensuke, just take him to see his sister. Go, before he does something worse…"

"Yeah, sure class rep." Kensuke replied meekly. "Toji, come on." Toji resisted. "Come on! Let's go!"

"Fine." Toji said defiantly. "But new kid… this isn't over…" Toji said as both he and Kensuke left the school yard.

Hikari rushed over to Shinji as the two boys left. Shinji was laying on the ground. He had blood coming out of his nose and mouth, and he was stirring slightly. Shinji rubbed his forehead, and tried sitting up, and Hikari helped him do so.

"Mr. Ikari, are you ok?!" Hikari asked.

"Trust me, I've had worse." Shinji stated. "That was a light beating, no one was holding me down, and he didn't kick me when he was done."

'Wow… what's he been through? He doesn't deserve that…' Hikari thought. "Mr. Ikari, let me take you to the nurse's office to clean you up." Hikari took out her handkerchief and held it to Shinji's nose. "Hold this here, you don't want to bleed all very your shirt."

"Thank you, Horaki–san, but you don't have to worry about me." Shinji said. "I'll be alright."

'He's so stubborn, but I have to make up for this…' Hikari thought. 'It's my fault for not stopping Toji in the first place… I feel so guilty…' Hikari grabbed Shinji's arm and dragged him up. "No, Mr. Ikari, I'm taking you there, it's my responsibility as your class rep!"

"Alright… if you're going be so insistent, lead the way." Shinji said. 'Why does she care so much now? Is this a trick?' Shinji thought.

"Good, now come on, I'll fix you up." Hikari said she dragged Shinji along.

Rei contend peering down at the scene below her and looked puzzled. 'Why is this all so important? What purpose is served by mindless violence and unneeded compassion?' Rei thought. 'What is so important about Pilot Ikari?'

–––

"Captain!" Hyuga said. "We have Pattern Orange inbound, similar inbound route to the Third Angel, from the Southeast."

"Track it, Hyuga, and the second that Pattern changes, declare Level–2 battle stations." Misato said. "Aoba, contact both the pilots, and get them here now, we have to be ready in case this goes south. Maya, have Unit–01 prepped for immediate launch, and alert Ritsuko and the Commander as well."

"Yes, ma'am!" Aoba said, grabbing the phone.

"Yes, Captain, I'll be back shortly." Maya got up and was about to leave, when Hyuga got a new alert.

"Captain, it's been confirmed! The Pattern Blue has been confirmed!" Hyuga shouted. "It's an Angel!"

"But it's only been three weeks! Why so soon?" Maya bemoaned. "They waiting 15 years between attacks last time."

"Well, I guess they're being impatient." Misato quipped. "Aoba, did you get ahold of the pilots?"

"Shinji's phone was off, and Section 2 says he's inside the school somewhere, but Rei answered, I sent her to find him, ma'am." Aoba replied.

"Good, now let's prep Unit–01." Misato ordered. "Show me the weapons we have ready."

–––

Hikari was still dragging Shinji along by the arm. It took them a few minutes to get to the nurse's office, which was empty when they arrived. "I guess she left for the day…" Hikari said. "Well, I guess I'll just fix you up myself."

"Ok…" Shinji replied. He watched as Hikari grab some cotton swabs, rubbing alcohol, a damp towel, and an ice pack. She took the handkerchief away from Shinji's nose and started wiping his face off. "Horaki–san, why are you helping me?" Shinji asked innocently.

'I should just tell him the truth…' Hikari thought. "Listen you can call me Hikari…ok? And… um… can I call you… Shinji?"

"Sure, uh… Hikari." Shinji said as he looked at her eyes, which were not very far away from his own. It looked as though she was holding back tears. "Why do you look so sad?"

"Is it that obvious?" Hikari asked as she looked down in shame. "I'm sad because I didn't do enough to keep you from getting hit by Toji… could you ever forgive me?"

"What?" Shinji exclaimed. "How are his actions your fault? You didn't make him punch me, did you?"

"No, but he told me if he found who the pilot was, he'd… he'd… bet them up!" Hikari cried out. "I should've known he'd hit you, but I didn't think about it! I was so mad about class being disrupted, I didn't think about what might happen to you!" Hikari had tears running down her face. "I'm… I'm… so sorry! I should've helped you! I should've tried hard to stop him! I'm sorry he hit you too! I'm really, really sorry…" Hikari buried her face in her hands and started openly crying. Please… Shinji… can you forgive me?"

Shinji felt awkward watching while Hikari cried right in front of him. 'Why is she so upset over me? I don't deserve being cared for like this.' Shinji thought. 'But I can't just let her keep crying like this either…'

He decided the best way to help would be to hug her. "Hikari… don't worry about it, you have nothing to be sorry about. Suzuhara isn't the first person to beat me up for some reason, and I doubt he'll be the last." Shinji sighed a he let go of Hikari. "But why do you care if I get hurt? No one else ever has…"

"I care because you don't deserve to be treated badly by others, you're far too nice for that." Hikari said, wiping her tears away. "No one should be hit for any reason. Toji explained everything you did, you did everything you could, right? So that means you're a good person."

"Yeah, I was told to leave rubble alone and focus on the Angel…" Shinji said. "I told them to send help, but they wouldn't…" Shinji looked at Hikari again. "Why is he so angry though?" Shinji asked. "Where does he think hitting me solves his problem? His sister won't get better if he beats me up, will she…"

"Underneath all that male bravado crap, Toji is really sweet." Hikari said bluntly. "When we were kids, he was a lot nicer, a lot like how you are actually, quiet, shy, and all that, but, when we hit junior high he changed, he got taller and acted all tough, and I'm not sure why…" Hikari explained. "But, I know he's still the same sweet little boy I…" Hikari paused. "That I knew back then."

'What was that about?' Shinji thought as he just looked at her. "…Hikari?" Hikari looked up. "Thank you…"

"For what Shinji?" Hikari asked.

"For being so nice to me." Shinji replied. "It's been a while since I had something like that, a very long time…"

"It's not a problem, Shinji, it's nice to make a new friend." Hikari finished wiping Shinji's face, and then cleaned the cuts with the rubbing alcohol. "Don't thank me yet though, this might hurt."

Shinji cringed as the alcohol hit the still open cuts. "No worse than getting punched a lot in the face."

Hikari chuckled. "You're pretty funny Shinji Ikari."

"Thanks…" Shinji blushed. "So we're friends now?"

"Well, yeah." Hikari replied, grabbing a bandage. "Its nice talk to someone as me and not just as the class rep. It gets annoying after a while, even Toji and Kensuke call me class rep." Hikari applied bandage to Shinji's nose. "But you always called me Horaki–san, and you never called me by my title like everyone else. That's why we're friends, plus, nothing says friendship like cleaning blood off your face." Hikari smiled. "There, all fixed, Shinji, you're good as new."

"Thanks Hikari." Shinji said. "I guess we should get going, I have to cook dinner for me and my guardian. She can't cook at all, and I'd rather not eat more of what she considers food. It didn't agree with me so well the last time…"

"Yeah, I have to cook for my dad and sisters when I get home. I'm the only one that can cook, otherwise they'd starve." Hikari chuckled.

"So, should I call you Hikari in class to, or just when we're talking like this?" Shinji asked.

"Just call me Hikari, all the time." Hikari smiled. "You don't ever have to refer to me as class rep again, ok?"

"Yeah, that sounds nice." Shinji said. "So, as friends, do we hangout or whatever? Should I give you my phone number?"

"I don't see why not." Hikari said, blushing slightly. "But what would the other boys think if we hung out all the time, or if I called you on the phone? I wouldn't want them to get the wrong idea."

"What do mean?" Shinji asked as he handed her a slip of paper with his number on it.

"You really are the sweet and innocent type aren't you?" Hikari asked. "I'll tell you what I mean later, don't worry."

"Alright…" Shinji said as he opened the door. "It'll be nice to actually get a call on the stupid thing…" The pair were about to leave the room, but were blocked by none other than Rei.

"Pilot Ikari, there is an Angel alert. We must go." Rei said simply. "I'll report in first."

Rei ran off and Hikari just looked at Shinji. "You better go, it sounds important. Just… be careful, Shinji. I wouldn't want to lose my new friend because of some…"

"Angel." Shinji replied. "I'll be careful, Hikari, but I can't promise I won't get hurt, that's part of this job. But you should get yourself to a shelter, I wouldn't want to lose my new friend to an Angel either."

Hikari threw her arms around Shinji. "Just remember one thing, you're a good person who just wants to protect people." Hikari squeezed him tightly. "Just remember that while you're fighting, ok?"

Shinji hugged her back tightly as well. "Thanks, Hikari, I will." Shinji replied. "But I have to get going now. I guess the fate of the world is in my hands. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow!" Shinji said as he ran out of the room. "Unless you call me before then!"

–––

"Angel has been visually confirmed." Aoba reported. "Putting it on screen."

The screen showed the Angel approaching from the ocean flying horizontally. It had a long cylindrical body, colored a deep maroon. There were two arms at the front of the body that were folded underneath it as though it were praying. Coming out from the ventral side were bone like legs, that looked very insect like as they clicked and moved as the Angel glided forward. Inside the moving ribcage was the Angel's blood red Core. Situated forward of the main body was a massive spade shaped head, that was maroon on top, with two black circles that looked like "eyes", and a tickle–me–Elmo color on the underside. Situated between the "head" and cylindrical body was another bird like mask.

Shamshel was coming.

"What an ugly motherfucker." Misato muttered.

"No kidding." Ritsuko said appearing behind Misato. "The last Angel wasn't this ugly at all. We have the weapons loaded and ready to be sent up, Misato. We should be all set for launch whenever you're ready."

"Good." Misato said. "I hate that the Commander and Sub–Commander are gone. It disturbs me that the Angels may know that they are not here."

"It's just a coincidence, Misato." Ritsuko said.

"Whatever, Ritsuko." Misato replied. "Hyuga status?"

"Captain, the Fourth Angel is closing on Tokyo–3." Hyuga said. "The MAGI predict a 98.9% chance that the target is NERV HQ."

"Level–1 battle stations. Set Tokyo–3 for battle configuration. Bring the Angel Intercept System online and begin active target tracking." Misato ordered.

"Setting Level–1 battle stations. AIS is online, all installed weapons encampments are active and online, active radar is online." Hyuga reported. "AIS is on hot standby."

The buildings in the central block began sinking below the surface of Tokyo–3, locking into place above NERV HQ. The weapons systems popped out of buildings and the surrounding area, and pointed in the direction of the approaching Angel.

"Fire!" Misato ordered.

The defense grid opened fire on the advancing Shamshel. The exploding shells and missiles did nothing to stop the Angel's slow advance.

"What a waste of the taxpayer's money…" Aoba said.

"Of course, it doesn't work, an N2 Mine barely stopped the last Angel. So, now it's time to deploy the real weapon." Misato quipped. "Status of Unit–01?"

"Unit–01 is on the launch platform, the MAGI have chosen the best spot to intercept, and the path is clear and ready, Captain." Maya reported. "Shinji's sync score is 43.9%."

"Good, thanks, Maya." Misato said. "Shinji, are you ready?"

Shinji didn't respond. He was sitting in the Entry Plug, thinking bank on the day. 'Figures, I get beat up, and have to fight another one of these fucking things…' Shinji sighed. 'Well, at least I made a friend, so not a completely shitty day.'

" _SHINJI!_ " Misato shouted though the comm line. " _Are you listening me?!_ "

"You don't have to yell, Misato." Shinji quipped. "I'm not selectively deaf like you are with doing the chores."

'You little shit…' Misato thought. " _Fine, Shinji, are you ready to go?_ "

"I'm ready whenever you say go, _Captain_." Shinji replied snarkily. "I'm awaiting your orders. You're the one I charge."

" _Fine then._ " Misato said gruffly. " _Evangelion Unit–01… LAUNCH!_ "

–––

The entirety of the Junior High school was inside a shelter not far from the campus. Toji was sitting there quietly looking at the ceiling.

'Why did the class rep defend the new kid?' Toji thought. 'What makes him so special anyway? He deserved the beat down, and more, didn't he?' Toji sighed. 'Unless, the class rep was right and I shouldn't have hit him… he did unbury my sister, maybe he was just trying to help…'

"Hey Toji!" Kensuke said loudly to get Toji's attention. "Did you hear what I said?"

'No, dipshit, I'm thinking of something here…' Toji sighed. "Yeah, man, it's all a conspiracy." Toji said unconvincingly.

"Exactly!" Kensuke was reading a message on his camera he had tuned into the local news station. "Typical government cover up bullshit. They always try to keep the truth from coming out."

"Shut up man!" Toji said. "We don't need to know everything." Toji started grabbed and started fiddling with the camera. "You are really weird sometimes, bro. I mean, you do kinda get off on this stuff though, like some kind of conspiracy theory pervert…"

"Man, I just want to see it once, I might never get another chance." Kensuke bemoaned. "I mean you got to see it and everything, and all I got was stuck in a bunker with a bunch of losers…"

"Kensuke, are you stupid?" Toji asked. "That thing you want to see almost flattened me and Sakura. I'll be happy if I never see another giant robot again."

"You know." Kensuke whispered. "We should sneak out and watch the fight. Can you help me with that, Toji?"

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Toji exclaimed. "We could get killed you moron!"

"Will you calm the hell down?" Kensuke said trying to calm his friend down. "That might happen if we stay here, you know. These shelters aren't exactly built to withstand giant robots blowing shit all to hell."

"Yeah, well, I'd rather die in here than out there." Toji said.

"Don't be so damn lame, Toji." Kensuke shot back. "Besides, you should go out there to watch. You have an obligation to watch the guy you just beat up put his life on the line to save our asses for a second time."

Toji grimaced. "No…"

"What was that, Toji?" Kensuke asked. "That didn't sound very convincing. Don't you owe him one?"

Toji grumbled silently. 'Damn it all, Kensuke's kinda right, I hit him without thinking there may be more monsters out there for him to fight…' Toji cracked his neck. "Yeah, yeah, let's go. I'll tell the class rep we're going to take a piss."

"Awesome!" Kensuke said.

The two boys walked over to where Hikari was leaning against the wall alone, reading a cooking magazine. "What do you two want?"

"Well, class rep, we kinda gotta go drain the snake." Toji said.

"Excuse me?" Hikari said, looking up from her magazine. "Couldn't you have done that before we all settled in here?"

"But we didn't have to go then." Toji said, dancing on his feet a little. "Come on, class rep, I don't think you want us to piss ourselves here around all these people."

"Well, it would serve you right for hitting Shinji like that." Hikari snapped back. "You could've broken his nose or something." Hikari saw the boys actually looked a like they were desperate. "But I'm the bigger person, and won't hold it against you, go, just hurry up, whatever is happening out there, I doubt it's pretty."

"Thanks class rep!" Toji said smiling broadly as the two boys walked away.

"I just hope Shinji's alright out there." Hikari mumbled. "For all our sakes."

–––

Toji and Kensuke made it outside and were running up the steps of the Hakone Shrine to get a good view of the battle that was about to occur.

"Come on, Toji, keep up!" Kensuke shouted.

"Dude!" Toji shouted back. "You're going too fast!"

The pair reached the top of the shrine and could see Shamshel floating along towards the shore of Lake Ashinoko. Kensuke got his camera out and started rolling.

"Whoa!" Kensuke said excitedly. "Here it comes!"

"Damn that thing is ugly." Toji stated "The other one looked weird, but this one looks like some kind of freak!"

The Angel stood up as it entered the city, spreading its arms out as its rib like legs continued to move and click. Shamshel continued moving forward, but at a much slower pace compared to before. Right after, one of the buildings flashed with red lights and its side opened, revealing Unit–01.

"There it is!" Kensuke shouted. "This was so worth it."

"So that's the new kid, eh?" Toji said quietly.

Unit–01 glared at the Angel, and deployed a shimmering field, then stepped forward. The building next to the deployment point opened up to reveal a Gatling Gun. Unit–01 took it in its hands and leveled it towards the slowly advancing Shamshel.

"Center the target…" Shinji said loudly. "And pull the trigger!"

The Gatling Gun opened fire, and instead of a short burst, Shinji unloaded the entire magazine into the Angel, causing the ejected shells to damage the road, buildings and cars all around them, it also created a massive smoke cloud, obscuring the Angel from view.

"YAAAAHHHHH!" Shinji screamed as he fired the Gatling Gun relentlessly.

" _Shinji, you idiot! You can't see through all that smoke_ " Misato shouted over the comm line. " _Short bursts! I said short bursts, now how will you see when it's attacking! Cease fire! Cease fire, right now!_ "

Shinji didn't stop firing until the Gatling spun around, empty, and out of ammo. Shinji sat in the Entry Plug, breathing heavily. Out of the smoke shot two violet colored whips made of light. They struck Unit–01, knocking it backwards, and the Gatling Gun, causing it to be split into three pieces.

"Ugh!" Shinji exclaimed as he was thrown back in his seat.

" _Shinji, get up!_ " Misato shouted. " _I'm sending up a spare rifle, don't screw it up this time! Neutralize the A.T. Field, then shoot its Core!_ "

A Pallet Rifle emerged from an armament building next to Shinji. However as he grabbed for the rifle, the light whips shot out again, cutting the building and rifle in half, and knocking Unit–01 back onto the ground.

"Jeez, he's getting his ass kicked!" Toji said.

"Do ya think that might be because you gave him a concussion earlier?" Kensuke remarked. "You did beat him pretty hard…"

"Did I?" Toji said. "I just wanted to teach him a lesson…"

"Good job then." Kensuke said sarcastically. "You taught him so well, he can't pilot for shit now. If we die, I'm blaming you."

"This is… all my fault?"

Shinji looked out of his view screen and saw Shamshel advancing towards him. It's "Eyes" looked quite menacing as it appeared to leer at Shinji.

"This isn't going well…" Shinji said as he pulled Unit–01 back on its feet. "I don't see how I can fight this thing and its fucking tentacles…"

The whips shot out of Shamshel's arms towards Unit–01 and sliced it and several buildings around it violently.

" _Umbilical cable has been severed! Unit–01 has switched to internal batteries._ "

" _Shinji you idiot, hurry up!_ " Misato yelled. " _You only have five minutes left!_ "

The all too familiar timer appeared again, giving its ominous message "INTERNAL POWER SELECTED" and a sickening timer counting down from "5:00:00" telling Shinji exactly how much time he had to kill the Angel.

"Fuck, not again!" Shinji screamed. "What the hell am I supposed to do? It has tentacles!" Shinji grabbed his head. 'It's not like I can ask the EVA for help again, not after last time…' Shinji thought. 'I'm fucked…'

The whips shot out again, and Shamshel grabbed Unit–01 lifting it into the air. Unit–01 was thrown backwards I the air, then shot forward at high speed towards Hakone Shrine.

"AGGGGHHHHHHH!" Shinji screamed as Unit–01 flew through the air, right towards where Kensuke and Toji were standing.

"AGGGGHHHHHHH!" Kensuke and Toji ran as fast as they could from where they were standing. Unit–01 landed where two had been just moments before. Unit–01's hand slammed down right next to them, putting them between the pointer and middle fingers of its left hand.

"The fuck, Kensuke! I told you we'd be in deep shit if we came out here!" Toji screamed.

"No, were in bigger trouble than that." Kensuke said as he pointed to an advancing Shamshel. "I don't know about you, but the Tentacle Porn Angel over there looks pretty pissed off…"

"I don't wanna die here…" Toji said. 'Please, new kid, I'm sorry, just… just save us, ok?' Toji thought as he looked desperately towards Unit–01.

Shinji was rubbing his head again from the impact. "Son of a bitch that hurt a shit load…" Shinji bemoaned. "Why do I always have to get thrown? And why do I always have to feel what this thing feels. It'll be the death of me eventually." Shinji started looking around, and saw Shamshel advancing towards him from where he had been moments before. "Shit, its coming, and I only have three minutes left to kill it." Shinji looked to his right and saw nothing, but on his left, he saw two figures between his fingers. "Are those the two from earlier?" Shinji asked aloud, and Unit–01 responded by scanning them and pulling up their data files. "Shit, it is!"

Central Dogma was a scene of utter chaos.

"Damage report!" Misato shouted.

"None, ma'am. Unit–01 is still all green, no change in sync score." Maya reported.

"The Fourth Angel is advancing on Unit–01 again, ma'am." Hyuga reported. "But the two civilians are there and in the way, ma'am."

"What?!" Misato shouted.

"Yes, a Suzuhara and Aida are there, registered as Shinji's classmates.

"Shinji, you have to ignore those two!" Misato said. "Your only priority is the Angel!"

'Not two of the pilot candidates!' Ritsuko thought. 'We can't lose them, but I can't tell Misato that… damn it all!' Ritsuko shook Misato. "You can't leave two civilians like that there, they need to be recovered and told not to yap about this!"

"You always like to say, Ritsuko, Angel first, EVA second, everything else last." Misato spat back. "Those kids are out of the shelter, it's their own fault." Misato pressed the comm button. "Shinji, you're nearly out of time, retreat immediately!"

Shinji stared at the two below him as Shamshel hovered over Unit–01 and threw its whips down towards the trio on the ground. "FUCK YOU!" Shinji yelled as he grabbed the control yokes and threw up Unit–01's hands and caught the whips and held them. "How you like that, fucker!"

Shamshel struggled to get free of Shinji's vice grip, but couldn't. It kept rocking the whips back and forth to get free, but it was simply not able to escape.

Toji and Kensuke looked on from the ground. "Why doesn't he just leave?" Toji said.

"Cause, he's protecting us." Kensuke shouted. "If he moves, we die! Even after what you did, he's still protecting us!"

"Great, two minutes left…" Shinji snarled inside the Entry Plug. "Just go away!" Shinji yelled at Shamshel.

" _Shinji, I said retreat!_ " Misato yelled. " _Get out of there now!_ "

Shinji looked back down towards Toji and Kensuke and sighed. 'I can't leave them here to die. IF I leave that Angel is going to kill them, I won't let that happen.' Shinji thought. 'I'm not a monster…' Shinji pressed a few buttons on the control yokes. "Holding current orders and recover the civilians!" Shinji yelled, and hit the button to eject the plug." Shinji flipped the external speaker switch. "Hey, you two get in here, quick, we don't have a lot of time!"

" _Shinji, what the fuck do you think you're doing?!_ " Misato yelled. " _No unauthorized persons are allowed in the Entry Plug!_ "

" _Shinji, you're putting the safety of the EVA and yourself in danger is you let them in!_ " Ritsuko shouted.

"Shut up, both of you!" Shinji shouted back. "I'm the one out here, not you, and _I_ won't let people needlessly die! So deal with it!" Shinji shut off the comm line by punching the button hard with his fist.

Toji and Kensuke ran towards the exposed Entry Plug and clambered up the ladder. They got to the top and climbed in, falling headfirst into the LCL.

"The fuck is water doing in here?!" Toji shouted.

"My poor camera, all my footage is ruined!" Kensuke bemoaned. "All that effort for nothing!"

The two looked down and saw Shinji sitting in the pilot's seat, and the screen around them came back to life. They could see Shamshel outside, with its light whips still being held tightly by Unit–01.

"Will you two shut up!" Shinji yelled from the pilot's seat. "I'm trying to concentrate up here."

The comm line sputtered back to life. " _Shinji you fucking idiot!_ " Misato shouted. " _I give you the orders, you don't get to make your own decisions, you just do as you're told!_ "

"Shut up, Misato!" Shinji yelled. "I'm busy dealing with your problems!" Shinji looked around and saw he had an opening to attack. "Time to get lost, you tentacled freak…"

Unit–01 lifted its legs and pressed against Shamshel's body. Unit–01 pushed as hard as it could, then Unit–01 finally let go of the tentacles and let her fly away into a building, making t collapse from the impact. Unit–01 slowly got up, and stood up straight. Its hands were quite charred and smoking from holding onto the whips so long.

" _Good Shinji, now retreat immediately._ " Misato ordered. " _Use Route 34 Bravo, double time it! You only have 90 seconds left, hurry up!_ "

"Hey, new kid!" Toji shouted. "Didn't you hear her? That lady told you to get out of here!"

"I mustn't run away…" Shinji muttered. "I won't retreat for her, not after all this shit. I'm killing this Angel, I just need a weapon." As if on cue, one of the pylons opened up revealing a weapon, a Progressive Knife, slid out of its casing. "This'll do…" Shinji muttered as he moved the control yokes and grabbed it out of the casing. The Prog Knife came to life and glowed slightly in Unit–01's hand.

" _Shinji, follow my orders! Put that thing away and retreat!_ " Misato yelled over the comm. " _NOW!_ "

"YAAAAHHHHH!" Shinji screamed as he charged forward towards Shamshel. She was just getting back up when Unit–01 plunged the Prog Knife into her Core, lifting Shamshel off the ground, and using its mass to force the blade in deeper. "Take this!"

" _Shinji, stop, you only have 45 seconds left, get away from there now!_ " Misato screamed. " _SHINJI!_ "

Shamshel shot out its whips and punctured through Unit–01's torso, causing Shinji to scream out in pain. "Goddammit!" Shinji screamed. "Just die already!"

Shinji twisted the Prog Knife around in the Core, causing it to start to crack.

" _30 seconds remaining!_ " Maya shouted. " _29… 28… 27… 26… 25… 24… 23…_ "

Shamshel's Core was glowing white, and its whips were fluctuating, growing larger and smaller, causing more damage to Unit–01.

" _12… 11… 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4…_ " Maya said over the comm line.

Shamshel's Core cracked one final time, and stopped glowing all together, and it slumped down against the Prog Knife.

" _3… 2… 1… total EVA shutdown!_ " Maya reported. " _Pattern Blue has disappeared, the Angel has been defeated._ "

" _Begin recovery operations for Unit–01 and its insufferable pilot._ " Misato ordered.

Shinji sat in the pilot's seat in the dark, with Toji and Kensuke behind him, breathing heavily, and holding his hands against his head. "I didn't run away…" Shinji muttered. "And I killed the Angel myself…"

"Hey, uh, new kid… Ikari…" Toji stammered. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine…" Shinji muttered. 'How long will I have to fight these awful creatures, I don't know how I can handle any of this stuff anymore. Why do I even fight anyway… I don't really have anything to fight for… or do I?'

The Angel's carcass and Unit–01 were supporting each other as the first response vehicles from NERV began approaching.

–––

"Shinji, what the fuck were you thinking?" Misato asked angrily, her arms crossed. "Why did you disobey my orders! I can overlook the fact you let your friends into the Entry Plug, but did you even _think_ of what might happen if you ran out of power." Misato glared at Shinji. "Well, did you?!"

"I'm sorry, Misato…" Shinji muttered.

"Sorry isn't good enough, Shinji!" Misato yelled, her arms still crossed. "I'm your superior officer, and your operations commander, you have an obligation and a duty to follow my orders! Do you understand me?!"

"Yeah, I get it. I'm only your pilot… your subordinate. That all I am to you. That's all I'll ever be to you, isn't it." Shinji said. "So, did you want us to live together because it would be easier to keep an eye on your unruly pilot? I mean, it was a nice idea. It was fun for a while. You actually had me convinced that you truly cared about me…"

"What are you saying?!" Misato said indignantly. "Of course I care…"

"No you didn't… don't insult my intelligence and lie to me like that." Shinji spat. "Besides, I killed the Angel though, so why does any of this matter anyway. Mission accomplished and everything."

SLAP

Misato hit Shinji so hard across the face, she drew blood from the inside of his mouth. Shinji's eyes looked dead after getting hit.

"How dare you!" Misato shouted. "Just what do you think your duty is anyway?!"

"Kill the Angels at all costs…" Shinji said sternly as he stood up. "Even at the cost of my own life…"

"That's not…" Misato started.

"Yes it is." Shinji said. "Can I go now, _Captain_? All this fighting has made me exhausted."

"Yeah, Shinji, go home…" Misato said dejectedly. "I'll see you later…"

* * *

August 7, 2015 – NERV HQ

Misato walked gruffly into Ritsuko office.

"Ritsuko… I have a bit of an issue…" Misato said.

"Oh, god… you had sex with Shinji didn't you…" Ritsuko muttered. "I told you that would happen…"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Misato shouted. "I didn't fuck him, you demented pervert, he didn't come home last night, and Section 2 lost track of him!"

"What!" Ritsuko said. "And you call yourself his guardian!"

"What are you yelling about?" Misato shot back. "I thought he was acting weird, but I didn't think he'd go and run the fuck away!"

"We have to report this, you know." Ritsuko said. "The Commander was right though, he is a coward. Who runs away like that?"

"A boy forced into a situation that he doesn't understand!" Misato shouted. "We made him run away, it's our fault."

"No, Misato, it's your fault." Ritsuko snapped. "Now I have to report this before it's too late. We can't have a dead child on our hands. Unless you think you can find him on your own of course."

'How?' Misato thought sadly. 'It's my own fault, I have no idea where he'd go…'

–––

Toji and Kensuke were sitting in class. Toji was sitting in the window, looking out towards the mountains.

'Man, I didn't get what Ikari was going through at all… I mean he was scared of that thing, and angry, way angrier than me, I gotta apologize for what I did…, Hikari was right, I was being an idiot…' Toji thought. "Hey, Kensuke, how do ya think Ikari is doing?" Toji asked.

"I don't know, he didn't show up for school today, maybe he got hurt or something." Kensuke replied as he played with his VTOL.

"Nah, I just have a bad gut feeling we won't ever see him again." Toji replied.

"Well, if you're so worried about Shinji, why don't you call him?" Hikari asked as she walked over. "I didn't think you liked him at all, so why all the concern?"

"I'm not worried about him, class rep!" Toji shouted. "Just curious as to where he is! I wanna… uh… kick his ass again!"

"Yeah, sure…" Hikari said. "You certainly sounded concerned a minute ago. Here." She handed him a slip of paper. "He gave me his number the other day, I left a message when I called him last night."

"Why were you calling Ikari, class rep?!" Toji demanded.

"Yeah, you like or something?" Kensuke asked.

"As a friend, you demented perverts." Hikari said. "He's nice enough, and actually uses my name and doesn't always call me class rep."

"What do you mean class…" Toji started, but realized what he was going to say. "Oh… I'm… uh… my bad, Hikari… I didn't think it mattered, you're always taking your job so seriously, and I just figured… you wanted to be called that…"

"No you big idiot, I like my name just fine." Hikari said indignantly. "Plus, we were friends once, I thought you'd just keep calling me by my name."

"We aren't still friends?" Toji asked. 'Great, now I feel worse than I did…' Toji thought.

"Well, you don't talk to me anymore, and you always skip school, and we don't go out and play like we did when we were kids either…" Hikari said sadly.

"Listen, Hikari… I'm sorry." Toji said. "I shouldn't treat you like just my class rep, we are friends, and I don't want to lose my oldest friendships over something stupid…"

"Hey, what about me?" Kensuke asked indignantly. "I'm right here!"

"Quiet, you." Toji said threateningly. "I met Hikari first… you hung out with us, she's your friend too… isn't she?"

"Well… yeah…" Kensuke said quietly.

"Good, than it's all settled, we're friends again!" Toji said, clapping Hikari on the back. "How's that sound, Hikari?"

"It sounds good, Suzuhara." Hikari said smiling faintly. 'But I want more from you… but how do I ask?' Hikari thought sadly.

"Cool, now let me call Ikari and apologize…" Toji said before changing his mind. "I mean telling him that I owe him another beat down for getting us yelled at for getting in that giant robot of his!"

–––

Shinji got up from the box he had slept in. He was covered in grime and muck from having fallen into a puddle the night before. Shinji shuttered a bit as he nursed his aching neck from sleeping without a pillow. Shinji started walking out of town.

'Why did I have to fight those Angels anyway? I was told to fight, then Misato yells at me about how I should always follow her orders. Why does it matter if I follow what she tells me or figure it out for myself? The result is the same. The Angel is dead…' Shinji thought. 'Did she ever care about me, or even love me? Misato was just keeping her interests protected, it didn't have anything to do with me at all… God this sucks, I'm all alone, and no one cares about me…' Shinji thought for a moment. 'Wait, someone does care about me, and it isn't Misato… I have a friend in Hikari… she cares… she told me to be careful… I could tell, she was… different… it wasn't like Misato's empty words, everything she said, she meant. Even that hug was full of kindness and friendship…' Shinji sighed as he queued up the SDAT. 'Even though Hikari does care, I don't want to go back…'

**♪Graffiti decorations**  
**Under the sky of dust**  
**A constant wave of tension**  
**On top of broken trust**  
**The lessons that you taught me**  
**I learned were never true**

**Now I find myself in question**  
**They point the finger at me again**  
**Guilty by association**  
**You point the finger at me again**

**I wanna run away**  
**Never say goodbye**  
**I wanna know the truth**  
**Instead of wondering why**  
**I wanna know the answers**  
**No more lies**  
**I wanna shut the door**  
**And open up my mind**

**Paper bags and angry voices**  
**Under a sky of dust**  
**Another wave of tension**  
**Has more than filled me up**  
**All my talk of taking action**  
**These words were never true**

**Now I find myself in question**  
**They point the finger at me again**  
**Guilty by association**  
**You point the finger at me again**

**I wanna run away**  
**Never say goodbye**  
**I wanna know the truth**  
**Instead of wondering why**  
**I wanna know the answers**  
**No more lies**  
**I wanna shut the door**  
**And open up my mind**

**I'm gonna run away, and never say goodbye**  
**Gonna run away, gonna run away**  
**Gonna run away, gonna run away**  
**I'm gonna run away and never wonder why**  
**Gonna run away, gonna run away**  
**Gonna run away, gonna run away**  
**I'm gonna run away and open up my mind**  
**Gonna run away, gonna run away**  
**Gonna run away, gonna run away**  
**Gonna run away, gonna run away**  
**Gonna run away, gonna run away**

**I wanna run away**  
**Never say goodbye**  
**I wanna know the truth**  
**Instead of wondering why**  
**I wanna know the answers**  
**No more lies**  
**I wanna shut the door**  
**And open up my mind**

**I wanna run away and open up my mind**  
**I wanna run away and open up my mind**  
**I wanna run away and open up my mind**  
**I wanna run away and open up my mind♪**

'Yeah, I just want to runaway from all my problems…' Shinji thought between tracks. 'That the only option I have left… I'm sorry I couldn't be stronger, Hikari…'

–––

Misato was laying in her apartment on her couch, staring mindlessly at the TV. Misato stared over at Shinji's room as she drank through a 12 pack of Yebisu, and two bottles of sake all on her own. She had just opened her second bottle of sake when she started thinking really hard about Shinji. Needless to say, Misato was fucking wasted. Pen–Pen knew that in this state it was safer to stay hidden away in his fridge and wait for Misato to drink herself to sleep, but it would be a while before that happened.

"God, I fucked up, I made him run away… I'm such an idiot." Misato threw an empty can of beer she had been drinking at the TV. "Why did I say those awful things to him?! He does mean more to me than just a subordinate. He's like family to me, like the son I know that I'll never have… Oh god… Kaji… he's the only person I'd ever consider having kids with, and I screwed that up too… like a fucking idiot…"

Misato wasn't even bothering with drinking from a glass, and just drank straight from the bottle, trying to drown away the sorrows, but they wouldn't leave her alone.

"Every fucking relationship in my life goes right to hell, I hated my mom for hating my father, I hated my father for leaving me, I lost contact with Kotomi after high school like I said I wouldn't, and Kaji… I really fucked that one up, I told him I cheated when I didn't, and then he left in a huff, and I haven't spoken to him since… and ten I get an opportunity to help someone out who looks like someone who helped me out in the past… and then I go and treat him like some sort of doormat… he's a person, and I forced him into Unit–01, thinking it was fort the best, and he was also so depressed after I put him in that thing, and I couldn't put it together, the girl who survived Second Impact and was mute for two years couldn't figure out the kid I her charge had something going on in his head… and I didn't even talk it out with him… I'm a fucking idiot, I don't deserve to be Shinji's guardian." Misato kept drinking and rambling on. "Great, now I can't get Shinji–kun out of my head, and I really liked having him around too… he was nice to me most of the time, and when he was angry I deserved his anger, cause I treated him like shit! I'm such a shitty person… oh fuck, to now…"

Misato jumped up and ran to the bathroom and violently expelled the contents of her stomach, not in the toilet, but all over and around the toilet.

"Nooooo…" Misato moaned as she continued to dry heave into the bowl. "Why did I have to puke… no I have to clean this all up…"

Misato struggled to her feet and walked over to the sink and garbled a bunch of mouthwash. She then staggered out of the bathroom and went to Shinji's room.

"It's so empty and lonely in this room… he didn't even decorate it at all… and most of his stuff is still here, even his cell phone is here…" Misato noticed that the cell phone had a blinking light. "Two new messages? I didn't know he gave out his number… someone must be looking for him…" Misato opened the phone and dialed the voicemail, and listened to the messages. She saved them and plugged the phone in. She then staggered back to the living room. "I need to have Shinji listen to these before he leaves…" Misato said weakly as she slumped over on the couch. "I can't let him leave without knowing how these guys feel about him…"

–––

Shinji had been walking for a while. He was on an abandoned highway, walking along to another song on his playlist.

**♪Summer has come and passed**  
**The innocent can never last**  
**Wake me up when September ends**  
**Like my father's come to pass**  
**Seven years has gone so fast**  
**Wake me up when September ends**

**Here comes the rain again**  
**Falling from the stars**  
**Drenched in my pain again**  
**Becoming who we are**  
**As my memory rests**  
**But never forgets what I lost**  
**Wake me up when September ends**

**Summer has come and passed**  
**The innocent can never last**  
**Wake me up when September ends**  
**Ring out the bells again**  
**Like we did when spring began**  
**Wake me up when September ends**

**Here comes the rain again**  
**Falling from the stars**  
**Drenched in my pain again**  
**Becoming who we are**  
**As my memory rests**  
**But never forgets what I lost**  
**Wake me up when September ends**

**Summer has come and passed**  
**The innocent can never last**  
**Wake me up when September ends**  
**Like my father's come to pass**  
**Twenty years has gone so fast**  
**Wake me up when September ends**  
**Wake me up when September ends**  
**Wake me up when September ends♪**

As the tracks changed, Shinji started thinking again. 'Well, at least when I left, I took the one thing that can never hurt me… my SDAT…' Shinji felt a hand grab him roughly, and pull out his earphones. "Hey, who the fuck do you think you are?!" Shinji shouted.

The man turned Shinji around. Shinji looked at the men in disbelief. He saw three men, dressed in black suits with black ties, and dark sunglasses.

"I'm Agent Smith, of the Intelligence Division." The man said. "I need you to come with us immediately."

"Let me guess, you, Larry and Curly are all named Smith, but are no relation to each other, am I right?" Shinji joked. "Go to hell, I'm not going back."

"Listen, Mr. Ikari, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." Agent Smith said. "Your choice."

"I already said I wasn't going back jackass, so I think that makes the choice kinda clear, doesn't it." Shinji said harshly.

"Fine, the hard way it is." Agent Smith said.

And the last thing Shinji saw was the darkness take him.

* * *

August 8, 2015 – NERV HQ

Shinji was sitting in a dark room, all alone. He was sitting quietly in a chair waiting for someone to come see him. He had woken up a while ago to the darkness, and felt around to find the chair.

"Figures my father would put in jail for running away…" Shinji muttered. "He's such an asshole. He calls me here and expects me to just accept that I have to pilot a massive Evangelion against just as massive and hugely deadly Angels…"

The door slid open, flooding the tiny room with a massive amount of light, blinding Shinji, and keeping him from seeing who had walked in.

"Hello Shinji." Misato said.

"Misato?" Shinji asked. "Why am I here? I ran away for a reason you know. To get away from here, far, far away from the Angels and the EVAs."

"Yes, it's me, Shinji." Misato replied. "You were brought back because you are important to NERV, but I am very glad Section 2 found you safe and sound, I was very worried about where you went."

"Were you worried about me, your ward or me your EVA pilot?" Shinji asked angrily. "I'm pretty sure I already know the answer, but I'm always up for my expectations to be exceeded."

"I was worried about my roommate and foster child because he didn't come home after we had a nasty fight… and I didn't want the last thing I said to you be… what we were arguing about." Misato said tearfully.

"What?" Shinji said, stunned at what he was hearing. "You better not be just saying that."

"No, Shinji, I was really worried about you! I was scared you ran off and got hurt, I had no way to reach you because you left your phone behind, and I just wanted you back so I could say I was sorry!" Misato said loudly. "I understand why you ran away, I didn't act like I cared about you, but I did, I _do_ , and it's just nice to be around someone for a change, someone I can consider my family, if they'll let me…"

"What do you mean?" Shinji was very confused. "You're sorry about what you said? You're really sorry?"

"Yes, I'm really sorry, Shinji." Misato replied. "So if you want to, and only if you want to, come back and pilot the EVA, and you can keep living with me…"

"I knew it was really about that… thing." Shinji said, once again, his anger spiking. "You couldn't even be honest with me about that, could you? Here I thought you were apologizing, and then you tell me to get in the EVA! I'm never getting in that fucking thing again, Misato! NEVER! Humanity isn't worth fighting for, Misato! Whatever those goons did to me, knocked me out for hours, and then they just threw me in here, and I woke up on the floor! Do I really want to work somewhere I'm a fucking prisoner if I don't listen to my stupid father or his stupid subordinates?! Fuck that, humanity can go fuck itself for all I care, someone else can deal with the Angels, because it won't be me!"

"Shinji, I'll leave it up to you, but are you sure there isn't a sliver of humanity worth saving?" Misato asked as she pulled out a cell phone. "You have two messages on here that might change your mind about things. I listened to them last night, and I know they might make you think that what you're saying is wrong." Misato tossed the phone to Shinji. "Just give humanity a chance."

"Whatever…" Shinji said as he flipped open the phone and dialed the voicemail.

" _FIRST SAVED MESSAGE; MESSAGE RECEIVED ON AUGUST 6, 2015, AT 11:56p: Hi Shinji, its Hikari. I hope everything went ok. They just let us out of the bunker a little while ago, and I didn't have to cook because we got in so late. I'm just worried about you, and I really do hope you're ok. Whatever you had to fight out there, we could feel it in our shelter, like it was right over us, and I wasn't really afraid because I knew you were protecting us. I knew you'd defeat it because that's what you do, you protect people even if you risk your own life to do it. So thank you for keeping us safe and killing whatever that was. Stay safe, and talk to you soon. Bye, now, Shinji! MESSAGE SAVED… NEXT SAVED MESSAGE; MESSAGE RECEIVED ON AUGUST 7, 2015, AT 5:17p: Hey, uh… new kid… I mean… uh Ikari… its Toji. Toji Suzuhara. I was the guy you saved, not once, but twice from one of those freaky Angels, or the guy that knocked you on your ass at school for saving me and my sister. Look… uh… Hikari… I mean the class rep gave me your number ad I wanted to apologize for what I did to you. I should have hit you like that, even if I was angry, you were right, and the class rep was right, you saved my sister, and I should be grateful for that, you saved her from certain death, I owe you my life for hers really… and then today, you saved me again… putting yourself at risk and getting the wrath of your commander, it's not fair for you to have done that for some jerk who hit you. So, if you're avoiding school cause of me, don't. I won't bother you anymore, I just hope you'll accept my apology, and I deserve any beat down you think I deserve new kid… so just come back because the class rep is really worried about you… and uh… so am I… so just come back soon, alright, you're getting pretty missed here, and I ain't having people sad cause you're moping around somewhere. Again, I'm really sorry, and I hope you'll accept my apology in person when you come back… uh… bye new kid. Hope to see you soon. MESSAGE SAVED, THERE ARE NO MORE MESSAGES. MAIN MENU…_ CLICK."

'Toji said sorry… that's never happened before, and he really meant it, he sounded so… dejected on the phone, like how I sound when I'm really sad about something, and Hikari, she seemed really worried, and that was after the Angel battle, she must be really worried by now, seeing as I haven't been to school at all in the past…' Shinji thought as he hung up the phone and looked at Misato. "So you listened to both?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, and Mr. Suzuhara's was very interesting, when did he hit you?" Misato asked.

"Yesterday." Shinji replied. "He was the guy who carried that little girl away after the first Angel I fought."

"Oh, so you did save him twice…" Misato said. "So, do you still think humanity isn't worth fighting for?"

"As a whole, yes, humanity sucks, but Hikari really cared about me… she sounded a bit worried. That's new for me. My old guardian would be a bit concerned, but he didn't call to find out if I was ok. If I was in my room, he mostly left me alone…"

"So, what's your decision?" Misato asked. "I don't want to lose you, Shinji, and I promise if you stay, I'll treat you more like my son than like my pilot. How does that sound?" Misato smiled. "But, I don't want you to pilot Unit–01 if you're not absolutely sure about doing it. I don't want to force you back into it again… I want you to be comfortable with the choice to save humanity and put your life on the line to do that, ok?"

"Well, it sounds a bit unrealistic. I think you're too young to be my mom, but we can give it a shot." Shinji said.

"Does that mean…" Misato started.

"I'll stay and pilot Unit–01, to protect my friends…" Shinji said. "I don't want to disappoint Hikari, and I don't want anyone else to get hurt… they're worth fighting for, not humanity… just them…"

"Well, it's a start, Shinji." Misato said. "Now, I'll grab your stuff and we can go home."

–––

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

Class was just getting out for the day, and Class 2–A was emptying out, with Toji and Kensuke chatting about where they were going after school. Hikari ran up to them, seemingly worried about something.

Class was just getting out for the day, and Class 2–A was emptying out, with Toji and Kensuke chatting about where they were going after school. Hikari ran up to them, seemingly worried about something.

"Hey, do you guys know where Shinji lives?" Hikari asked.

"Why?" The boys replied.

"I'm worried about him, he's missed two days of school, and I just want to find out what's happened, that's all." Hikari said.

"Well, I did find out he's staying with an officer from NERV from my dad's computer, and I got the address last night." Kensuke said. "I didn't really think about going over there though, unless he wasn't in school on Monday, then I'd be worried."

"Well, he hasn't returned my phone call, and I'm just worried something happened to him." Hikari said worriedly. "What the address, I want to go check on him…"

"Don't you have access to that as class rep?" Toji asked.

"No, they didn't list an address for him for security reasons, so I've been asking around!" Hikari said indignantly.

"Well, he hast returned my phone call either, and I'm worried too." Toji said. "So, Kensuke, what's the address…"

"It's on the edge of town, probably 20 minutes or so away by foot, we don't even need to take the train." Kensuke replied. "He's staying with a Captain M. Katsuragi, that's all I could get."

The three kids arrived at the apartment complex about half an hour later and went up to the 12th floor, which according to the directory, was the residence of "M. Katsuragi", Shinji's guardian. They walked up to the door, and Hikari rang the doorbell. The door slid open moments later to reveal Misato.

"Wow!" Toji and Kensuke exclaimed.

"Hello there, miss, we're from Shinji's class, we wanted to come and check on him, as he hasn't been in school since the alert was called two days ago." Hikari said politely, ignoring the idiots with her. "If he's in, can we see him?"

"So you two must be the boys from the other day, which would make you class rep Hikari… you're pretty cute." Misato joked. "So, no hitting on my little Shin–chan, ok? He's too young to date such pretty girls!"

"What?" the three exclaimed.

"I'm only kidding!" Misato said happily. "Come on in. he's in the kitchen!"

"Misato, who was at the door?" Shinji said turning around to see Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke in the kitchen. "Oh, it's you guys… I was just going to call you back in a little while, we just got home and I haven't eaten in a while…"

"Shinji!" Hikari explained, running up to him and throwing her arms around him, almost knocking him down. "I was really worried about you! You should have called me sooner! It's not nice to worry your friends!"

"I'm sorry, Hikari, I was…" Shinji started.

"In the hospital." Misato finished. "He was injured pretty badly by the fight, so he only got your messages this afternoon when he was released. That was my fault, not his."

"Oh, Shinji, you were hurt?!" Hikari said. "I told you to be careful!"

"I tired, but those two kinda got in the way…" Shinji said pointing at Toji and Kensuke.

"You two got in the way!" Hikari said loudly. "You got him hurt!"

"Hey, uh yeah… about that… I'm really sorry about getting you in trouble with your boss, she sounded pretty nasty."

"Excuse me?" Misato said. "I sounded like what exactly?"

"Oh, uh, Ms. Katsuragi, that was you?" Toji stammered. "I didn't mean it like that, I just meant you sounded really pissed, and I was sorry he got in trouble ad everything cause of me and Kensuke over here."

"Yeah, sorry about that, Shinji." Kensuke said sadly.

"That, and I wanted to apologize again for giving you a beat down." Toji said, looking at Shinji with a sad face. "You didn't deserve it, and I deserve a good sock in the face for doing it."

"Toji…" Hikari said.

"I'm not going to hit you, but I do accept your apology Toji, I forgive you." Shinji said. "I'll get my payback another way though, and you'll just have to wait and see."

"Shinji!" Hikari said. "What are you going to do to him?"

"Nothing serious, probably something funny…" Shinji said. "I've never had friends to joke around with before, so it'll be fun."

"Well, now you have three." Hikari said letting go of Shinji after nearly crushing him. "So you'll have to get used to it quick. No excuses!"

"Sure, Hikari, no excuses." Shinji said, smiling for the first time in a long time, in the presence of his three new friends.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

As for the songs used in this chapter, I don't own them either, and they're listed below in order of appearance:  
The All–American Rejects – _It Ends Tonight_ (2005)  
Linkin Park – _Runaway_ (2000)  
Green Day – _Wake Me Up When September Ends_ (2005)

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 43.9% (+1.9%)  
Asuka – 37.8% (+2.1%)  
Rei – 15.1% (No Change)  
Mari – N/A

So, this chapter is based on Episodes 3 and 4 of the anime, if you couldn't already tell. Also based heavily on the second manga volume as well.

So, the times are a changing (Boom, Bob Dylan reference!), and there are now, I hope, noticeable differences with the canon and this story. I am making Hikari a more central character, because, well, she's adorable and was just as underused as Fuyutsuki was.

As for Shinji's more violent outbursts, someone who has been tormented as Shinji had wouldn't always be so passive, he's been beaten and pushed around, and abandoned by his own father, he's got issues, and sometimes, anger has a tendency to boil over and shoot out at the closest person, who is Misato. Not that Misato is innocent of being an issue, as the way she tends to talk to him more as a subordinate, rather than as her surrogate son, or even as a friend. Something she figures out in her loneliness after he runs away.

As for not including the train, well, Shinji actually had something to come back and fight for, Hikari, his new friend, and the fact a bully apologized to him, Toji. Sure, his beat down from Toji was more severe, however, someone as angry and hotheaded as Toji wouldn't really stop at one punch or two, it's just so unrealistic. I trust my own experiences in that regard for a more accurate account of what happens after school when the bullies come out in force. But, in the end, Toji realizes he was wrong, and that Shinji didn't mean to hurt anyone, and, new friends are made!

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	6. Operation Yashima; Ramiel Obliterates

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode IV: The Last Hope

* * *

Chapter 6 – Operation Yashima; Ramiel Obliterates  
August 8, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Toji, Kensuke, and Hikari were relaxing in the living room of Misato's apartment with Shinji. They were watching TV and chatting about nothing in particular. Pen–Pen waddled over to the group looking for food and was snatched up by Hikari immediately.

"Oh my God! He's so cute!" Hikari squealed as she hugged the dazed bird. "He's so cuddly!"

"Why do you have a penguin?" Toji asked.

"Is he domesticated or something?" Kensuke asked.

Shinji got up and went to the kitchen and grabbed a package of jerky. When Shinji got back, he answered their questions. "His name is Pen–Pen, he's Misato's pet. She got him from… well I think an old job she worked at before NERV, anyway, she's had him a few years, and he loves jerky." Shinji handed the package to Hikari. "He seems to like you a lot, Hikari. Try feeding him, just be careful, his eyes are bigger than his stomach."

"Yeah, sure!" Hikari said happily. She handed Pen–Pen a piece of jerky. "Who's a good penguin?" Hikari said cutely.

"Wark!" Pen–Pen squawked happily.

"Girls and pets…" Toji muttered.

"Hey, Shinji, do you feed him like this?" Hikari asked. "Do you have to walk him at all?"

"No, I usually just put food in his bowl, he likes curry and rice a lot too." Shinji replied. "He thinks he's people so he can use the toilet too." Shinji pointed at the happy bird. "If he starts to squawk, he probably just needs to run for the toilet."

"Alright." Hikari said absentmindedly as she started rubbing Pen–Pen's belly. "Pen–Pen, you're so cute." Hikari kept whispering in her cutesy voice. The penguin kept squawking happily as he continued to eat the jerky he was given, until he clutched his stomach and squawked loudly and jumped out of Hikari's arms.

"WARK! WARK! WARK! WARK!" Pen–Pen shouted as he got in the bathroom.

"Shinji, what flavor were these?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, sounds like it didn't agree with the little guy." Toji said.

"Oh, shit…" Shinji said taking the package from Hikari. "I got him "spicy jalapeno" instead of the "bacon n' beef" jerky he likes." Shinji shook his head. "Oh, I feel bad about doing this to him."

"Don't worry, Shinji." Kensuke says. "By the sound of that penguin, karma will get you back when you have to clean the bathroom."

"Wonderful…" Shinji muttered.

As Pen–Pen continued to squawk painfully from the bathroom, and with Misato nowhere to be found, Shinji turned to everyone and asked a question. "What do you guys know about Ayanami?" Shinji asked bluntly.

"Huh, you mean Rei?" Hikari was the only one to reply. "I thought you'd know more about her, she is a pilot, isn't she?"

"Well, not really." Shinji said. "The only time she's talked to me is the other day when we left the nurse's office. Before that all she did… was look at me."

"Well, she's a bit weird." Toji said, still staring at the TV. "I mean, she's been in class with us for a couple years now, since 6th grade I think, and she doesn't really talk much at all, or hang out with anyone. It's like she goes to school, goes to NERV, and probably lives at that place."

"Yeah, she's always so quiet." Kensuke added. "She's kinda creepy. Her eyes freak me out a lot, and does she like dye her hair or something? It's definitely not a natural color either."

"Toji! Kensuke!" Hikari said admonishingly. "Be nice, Rei isn't that bad! And whatever her hair color is, you shouldn't make fun of it, it could be a genetic disorder! You should awful for saying something like that about someone so nice!" Hikari turned to Shinji. "She joined up with us in 6th grade, like Toji said, and she had transferred in from being home schooled or something. Her self–introduction was shorter than yours, all she said was "Hello, I am Rei Ayanami" and then she took her seat. I've talked to her a few times, and all she ever gives me are one words responses, and she misses a lot of class. I wish I did know more about her, but I don't."

"Why does it matter anyway, Shinji?" Toji said. "You got a crush or something?"

"No, it's nothing like that… I was just curious about her…" Shinji stammered.

"Sounds like someone has a crush!" Kensuke shouted.

"Rei and Shinji sitting in a tree, K–I–S–S–I–N–G" Toji sang out.

"Guys, come on…" Shinji said, blushing a bright red. "I just don't know anything about her, and I work with her…"

"It's ok, Shinji, I know what you mean." Hikari said. "I know what a crush looks like, and you're not smitten with her."

"What's that supposed to mean, Hikari?" Toji said roughly.

"Yeah Hikari, what do you mean?" Shinji asked politely.

"Just that I'm a girl and I know these things…" Hikari said, blushing a bit. 'Jeez, Toji, you are thick…' Hikari thought.

"Who cares, look what's on, Cowboy Bebop!" Kensuke said. "Pre–Second Impact anime at its best!"

"Yeah, awesome!" Toji said. "I love this show so much, I wanna be just like Spike."

"Forget Spike, I wanna meet Faye!" Kensuke said in a pervy voice. "She's so damn hot!"

"Careful bro, you might get a nosebleed with those kinds of thoughts." Toji said jokingly.

"It'd be totally worth it." Kensuke said happily.

"Guys, she's just a character in an anime, it's not like you can actually meet her…" Shinji said. "You do know that, right?"

"God, Shinji, you're such a boy!" Toji shouted.

Kensuke piled on. "Yeah, have some imagination, Shinji, stop being such a child!"

"Boys…" Hikari muttered.

"Did you say something Hikari?" Shinji asked as he listened to the jazzy opening of the show. "You ok?"

"Yeah, nothing to worry about." Hikari said. "Let's watch the show."

"Sure." Shinji said, but he leaned toward Hikari and whispered something. "If you ever need to tell me something, just let me know, I don't mind listening to my friends." Shinji smiled.

"Thanks, Shinji. I may take you up on that one of these days." Hikari said.

"Can you guys quiet down?!" Kensuke said angrily. " _My Funny Valentine_ is a good episode, I don't want it interrupted!"

"Relax, Kensuke." Shinji replied. "You're missing Faye walking around…"

"What?" Kensuke spun around so quick he made himself dizzy. "Hey, you tricked me! That's not cool, Shinji!"

As Hikari and Toji laughed at Kensuke's rage, Shinji chucked and spoke. "No, but it was damn funny to see you do that."

–––

It had been a few hours since Shinji's new friends had left. Toji, Kensuke and Hikari stayed for a while. They ate, they talked, and they watched some TV. Shinji was happy for the first time since he could remember, since the last time he made a friend in Tokyo–3 almost 11 years ago. However, Shinji was still tired from his runaway attempt, and his stint of being unconscious (courtesy of Section 2), as he hadn't really slept that well since the night before he fought Shamshel.

Misato was sitting on the couch next to a nearly passed out Shinji, and she got a phone call.

Brrring… brrring… brrring…

Misato took a sip of beer and answered the phone. "Hello?"

" _Hey, Misato. Can you come down to the cleanup site? I know you're busy getting over Shinji leaving…_ " Ritsuko said.

"He didn't leave, Ritsuko, he's right next to me." Misato said proudly. "He decided to stay and pilot."

" _Oh, really? I'm surprised… I didn't think he'd pilot again. What changed his mind?_ " Ritsuko replied. " _You didn't bribe him with your body, did you?_ "

"I'm not a sexual predator Ritsuko, so leave it alone!" Misato shouted. "He stayed because of some people he met at school. They were worried about him." Misato sighed. "So, why do you need me at the cleanup site exactly?"

" _Well, I need you to come and look at this Angel and the data we're getting about it, you might find it interesting._ " Ritsuko replied. " _And, bring Shinji too. He should see how his hard work pays off._ "

"Yeah, I'll wake him up and we'll be there in an hour or so, ok?" Misato said looking over at Shinji's sleeping form.

" _Sounds like a plan, Misato._ " Ritsuko said. " _See you soon._ "

Misato put the phone down and shook Shinji gently until he stirred and moaned in disgust. "Hey, Shinji? Wanna go for a drive? You'll get to wear a cute helmet."

"Just want… sleep…" Shinji replied tiredly.

"Oh, don't be such a spoil sport." Misato said, shaking him more. "You'll love it, I promise."

"Fine…" Shinji muttered. "As long as I can nap in the car…"

–––

Gendo was preparing to leave his office to go to the cleanup site. He had one final meeting to deal with before he left.

"Fuyutsuki, what news do you have for me today?" Gendo asked.

"Unit–00 has been fully repaired and is ready for another test." Fuyutsuki said. "And Rei has been medically cleared, they just took the cast off today."

"Excellent." Gendo said almost happily. "Then have an activation test schedules for tomorrow afternoon."

"Very well then, Ikari." Fuyutsuki replied.

"Is there anything else?" Gendo asked. "Has the Third Child left yet?"

"No, Shinji decided to stay." Fuyutsuki replied. "Captain Katsuragi took him home several hours ago."

"Hmmm…" Gendo folded his hands on front of his face. "Well, that is unexpected. What changed his mind?"

"I got into the voicemails on his phone, he has apparently made some friends who are concerned about him." Fuyutsuki replied. "I guess he's not as emotionally broken as you assumed. He still has the one thing most humans still have after Second Impact."

"What would that one thing be exactly, Fuyutsuki?" Gendo asked.

"Hope, Ikari." Fuyutsuki said. "He still has hope."

"Well, his oldest friend leaves from Hamburg in two days, perhaps sending him out to meet her with Captain Katsuragi after they stop in Sasebo, would be ideal… if it keeps him in line by making new friends he has probably forgot about, so be it." Gendo said plainly. "I never expected him to make friends… I wonder what could have changed him."

"Perhaps he's still the sweet little boy that saw his mother disappear in front of him." Fuyutsuki stroked his chin. "It may have changed us, but it may not have affected him as deeply, or he's repressed it, either way, he still soldiers on."

"Well, however my son may be different than what I assumed he'd be." Gendo said in an even tone. "We should get to the cleanup site for Shamshel. I'd like to see her up close."

"Of course, Ikari." Fuyutsuki said. "When should we leave?"

"Let's go now, I doubt anything will attack us today." Gendo replied as the two men left the Gendo's office.

–––

A temporary building had been set up where the battle with Shamshel had occurred. There was an indent in the side of the hill where Unit–01 had landed, and the building had been set up around Shamshel's body. Misato and Shinji arrived in typical fashion, with Misato driving wildly up to the building. Misato and Shinji walked into the containment building, both wearing white helmets with a green stripe and a red cross on them.

When they got inside, Shinji and Misato looked on the half destroyed remains of Shamshel in awe. Both of them were shocked at the scale of the Angel in front of them.

"Wow, I killed this thing all on my own…" Shinji said.

"Yep." Misato said proudly. "I should leave the major decisions up to you considering you did all this on your own."

"Misato, I was angry at you, I only got lucky, nothing else." Shinji said. "But thanks for trying to cheer me up though."

"Well, did it work?" Misato asked.

"A little…" Shinji said.

"Well, well, well, the conquering hero returns. Here to view your work up close?" Ritsuko said as she saw the two of them standing there. "Why don't we go to my office?"

"Hello, Dr. Akagi." Shinji replied blushing slightly.

"Ritz, don't tease him, he's a bit tired from his friends being over." Misato said, squeezing Shinji with one arm as they walked to Ritsuko's office. "I woke him up to bring him here, so what did you want to show us?"

"Well, the cleanup is going slowly, as this thing is kinda huge, it'll be about a week before it's all cleaned up." Ritsuko said.

"Sorry about that…" Shinji said.

"No need to be sorry, Shinji." Ritsuko said almost kindly. "You killed it, you just didn't destroy it. It's fine though, it can't hurt us anymore."

"What do you mean?" Misato asked. "I thought the Third Angel self–destructed?"

"It did, but upon analysis of the Core of the Fourth Angel, there is an outer shell that we see, and then there is an inner Core that contains an S2 Engine, which is what goes critical and explodes." Ritsuko explained. "Shinji destroyed the Outer Core, but the Inner Core, the S2 Engine, is still intact, while the Angel is dead. It's odd, but nothing about the Angels makes sense."

"Just like Second Impact…" Misato said without thinking. 'Just like Adam…' Misato thought sadly.

"Exactly." Ritsuko replied.

"Wait, I thought Second Impact was caused by a meteor hitting Antarctica." Shinji asked. "What does this snake engine thingy have to do with it?"

"Oh, that's right, you've only ever been told the cover story…" Ritsuko said. "Misato, should I explain it to him, or do you want to?"

"You can, I don't really want to talk about it, Ritz." Misato said. "Go for it."

"Alright, so Shinji." Ritsuko said. "Second Impact was caused by the First Angel, codenamed Adam. He was discovered in Antarctica by a research Expedition on May 10, 1999. Research began on the Angel, and there were safeties in place, but on September 13, 2000, an experiment on the S2 Engine of Adam went super critical, Adam awakened and used his power to try and wipe out humanity. He exploded, causing the tsunami that wiped out over two billion people, and then the wars that followed the strife, were all caused by an Angel. That's why NERV exists and why the Evangelions were built, to avoid a Third impact initiated by another Angel, because humanity cannot survive a Third Impact. That's why your job is so important, you're our last line of defense and the only thing stopping the Angels from killing us all."

"Wait, so if the First Angel caused Second Impact, and I just fought the Third and Fourth Angels, what happened to the Second Angel?" Shinji asked.

"Well, the Second Angel, codenamed Lilith, was captured in a dormant state before Second Impact and also studied, then disposed of in a similar manner to this Angel around us." Ritsuko explained. "That's why it was viewed as safe to study Adam."

"So, are all the Angels named or just the first two?" Shinji inquired. "Because I'd like to know what to call these things when I curse them under my breath."

"Just call them by their designation for now, we haven't really named them yet. Maybe soon, but not now. I don't rely want to call them "Steve" or "Ashley" it just doesn't sound right." Ritsuko replied. "But you can curse them as much as you want, just like the rest of us do all the time."

"Good." Shinji said sternly as he looked over to Shamshel.

"So, Ritsuko, what did you call us here for, exactly?" Misato asked.

"Well, to see the deconstruction process, and also to show you some of this data we've gathered." Ritsuko replied.

"Is any of this classified?" Misato asked.

"Not really, Rei knows about some of what I'll talk about, it's only fair Shinji knows it as well." Ritsuko said looking at Shinji. "Besides, the more he knows, the more he might understand about all this Angels and EVAs business."

Misato pulled Shinji close and shook him to keep him awake. "So, what has Mr. Enemy here given us?"

"Well, the computer has only given us a single error code, 601." Ritsuko explained. "It's the computer's way of saying it's an unidentifiable error, like a catch all for anything the computer can't understand. I've run every test I have, and this always comes back."

"So, what's the big discovery then?" Misato asked. "Sounds like you got a crap load of nothing."

"I don't have "nothing" I have a small something." Ritsuko replied bringing up another screen. "Upon detailed analysis of the remains, however different everything looks visually, its genome is surprising similar to our own. Its DNA and Wave Pattern from this Angel and the previous one, I've found that they a 99.89% similarity to humans."

"Wait, you mean it has the same similarity as the EVA?" Misato exclaimed.

"How does the EVA have DNA, it's a giant robot…" Shinji said looking between Misato and Ritsuko. "How is that possible?!"

"Relax Shinji, Ritsuko will explain." Misato looked to Ritsuko. "Right, Ritz?"

"Of course." Ritsuko relied and then looked right at Shinji. "The Evangelions are not just robots, they are biomechanical in nature, that's how you can link to it and feel pain. Under all that armor is a humanoid body with a Core. After many tests, and unsuccessful attempts, Unit–00 was created, followed by Unit–01, then a Unit–02 was started…"

"There are more than 2 EVAs?!" Shinji shouted. "What?"

"Didn't you notice that you're the Third Child, and Rei is the First Child, didn't you wonder about the gap?" Misato asked.

"Not really… I just assumed the Second Child was dead or something, considering the Angels and that the EVAs are really dangerous." Shinji stated plainly. "I didn't think there were more EVAs either…"

"Well, so far there are three active EVAs. Two EVAs here in Japan, one active in Germany, two under construction in the United States, some abomination in the UK that predates our own EVAs from NERV, and that's it for now, more may be built if the need arises." Ritsuko explained. "And the Second Child is still very much alive. She is quite precocious, and she might be transferred here soon considering you'll need all the help you can get with the Angels."

"More help would be good, but what about Ayanami?" Shinji asked.

"Unit–00 isn't configured for combat, just testing." Ritsuko said. "However, compared to building a Unit–05, refitting Unit–00 might be cheaper."

"But, are the EVAs… alive?" Shinji asked.

"No." Ritsuko said bluntly. "They are simply empty vessels. In order to move, they need your soul to sync with them, and that's how you feel their pain when you're attacked. You're physically and mentally linked to the EVA."

"God, this is all confusing." Shinji said. "More than two EVAs, more than two pilots, and the EVAs are living things… I'm going to go walk around and get some air."

"Shinji, are you ok?" Misato asked.

"Yeah… it's just a lot to take in." Shinji said walking away quietly.

"Well, he's acting a bit better." Ritsuko said. "I'm glad he has some friends now, it seems to have taken the edge off him."

"Only a bit." Misato relied, looking at Shinji waking away. "He's still a sarcastic prick at times, but that can be endearing because he's so cute."

"Oh, Misato…" Ritsuko muttered.

Shinji, meanwhile was walking sown the catwalk, and came upon his father, Fuyutsuki, and two technicians looking at a piece of the Core of Shamshel.

'Shit!' Shinji ducked behind some support girders and hid. 'Why do I have to hide from my own father?' Shinji asked himself. 'Because I don't want to deal with that asshole, that's why.' Shinji replied to himself sarcastically. 'What's he talking about, anyway?'

Shinji as just close enough to hear what they were saying.

"So, Fuyutsuki, this is the Core, its remarkably intact." Gendo said happily. He took off his gloves and revealed his burned hands to Shinji. "Feel this, it's so smooth."

"Yes, it's quite interesting…" Fuyutsuki said, running his own hands around its surface.

"Well, this is the outer shell." One of the technicians said. "The Inner Core seems to be the S2 Engine. What should we do with it?"

"Send the fragment of the Outer Core to the 5th Branch in Paris, and the Inner Core to the 2nd Branch in Nevada." Gendo said. "And keep a few samples of the Outer and Inner Core for Dr. Akagi to analyze in her lab."

"Yes, sir!" The technician replied.

'I wonder what happened to my father's hands… how did he burn them?' Shinji thought. 'He sits at a desk all day, unless his coffee was really hot…'

Shinji wandered away from his father unnoticed, and went back to Ritsuko's office where Misato and Ritsuko were mulling about.

"Oh, hey Shinji." Misato said. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah… I'm fine." Shinji said.

"Well, you don't sound fine, Shinji, so spill." Misato said.

"I saw my father got his… uh… hands burned by something. He took off those ridiculous gloves of his to feel the Core." Shinji stammered.

"Ritz, do you know about the Commander burning his hands?" Misato asked.

Ritsuko grimaced. "Right, all that happened before you two arrived here." Ritsuko turned around. "You've heard of Unit–00's berserk incident?"

"Yeah, I saw the report." Misato said.

"Misato told me about it." Shinji replied. "That's what injured Ayanami, isn't it?"

"Yes, she sustained her injuries from that incident, she was very badly hurt…" Ritsuko replied glumly. "Well, when Unit–00 went berserk, it ejected Rei's Entry Plug. The Commander ran out after Unit–00 was secured, and pried open the superheated emergency hatch to get Rei out with his bare hands. That's how he burned his hands, saving Rei…"

"That wasn't in the report!" Misato cried out. "Why wasn't it?"

"The Commander didn't want his injuries made public, so if you could keep this quiet…" Ritsuko replied.

"Well, sure Ritsuko." Misato turned to Shinji. "Shinji?"

"Yeah, of course…" Shinji muttered. 'My father saved Ayanami. He burned himself to save her? It doesn't sound like him. He certainly wouldn't try to save me…'

"Ritsuko, did you ever determine a reason for why Unit–00 went berserk?" Misato asked.

"The best I can figure, there was mental instability on the part of the pilot coupled with problems with Unit–00's operating system which he thought he had fixed." Ritsuko explained. "It's the best explanation from the available data."

"Well, it is almost fixed, isn't it?" Misato asked.

"Yes, the Commander has ordered another activation test for tomorrow." Ritsuko said. "But this time, Unit–01 will be on standby in case of an… event."

"Cool!" Misato said. "Well, that means someone needs some sleep!" Misato tugged Shinji's arm. "Ready to go, Shinji?"

"Yeah…" Shinji muttered. "I'm kinda tired."

"Alrighty then!" Misato said happily. "Bye Ritsuko!"

"Bye Dr. Akagi." Shinji said tiredly.

–––

Misato and Shinji were walking to the car.

"Well, look at you, you learned a lot today, and made some new friends." Misato said. "And I finally saw you smile."

"Yeah, and now I want to sleep." Shinji replied. "I might smile when I go to bed…"

"Aww, you're so cute when you want to sleep." Misato joked.

"I'm really not in the mood for the joking when I'm having trouble staying awake." Shinji said.

As Misato was about to respond, the two of them caught sight of someone walking towards them, it was Rei Ayanami, without any bandages on, and her two crimson eyes were locked on Shinji in what looked like a surprised stare before going back to their usual unreadable stance.

"Ayanami…" Shinji muttered.

"Oh, hello there Rei!" Misato said brightly. "Feeling better now, eh? Glad to have the bandages and casts off?"

"Yes, I am much better now, Captain Katsuragi. The cast was not a problem to deal with." Rei turned to Shinji. "So, Pilot Ikari, you did not quit after all." Rei said. 'Why is that?' Rei thought. 'Why did Ikari stay?'

"Yes, I decided to stay and fight." Shinji said.

"I could have piloted Unit–01 perfectly well." Rei said as she walked past them and into the structure. 'How… surprising. I could do this on my own… but for some reason I am… relieved that I am not alone in this anymore…'

As they got to the car, Shinji asked Misato a question. "Misato, is she mad at me for coming back, or wanting to leave?"

"She's not mad, that's just how she is." Misato said. "She's a bit distant with people, she doesn't just push people away like she keeps them away for some reason. And I know one thing for sure, no one has ever seen her smile."

"Really?" Shinji said as he got into the car. "I wonder why?"

"No one knows, Shinji." Misato looked over at Shinji, and he had already fallen asleep against the window. Misato reached across him and fastened his seatbelt. "Oh… I guess I'll drive carefully now so I don't wake you up."

–––

Misato had gently awakened Shinji when they returned to the apartment. They wandered upstairs and Shinji sat down at the kitchen table and whipped up something to eat before he went to bed, seeing as he had napped on the slow car ride home, and he also gave Pen–Pen something to eat as well. Misato had just finished in the shower when she came out wearing a small top that barley held in her breasts and what looked like a pair of boxer briefs that were so well fitting, they outlined everything underneath.

"Hiya, Shinji!" Misato said, grabbing a beer. "I thought you were going to bed?"

"I was hungry…" Shinji looked up tiredly from his food. "Misato… do you know what clothes are?"

"What, its hot outside!" Misato said.

"Misato, its 32°C outside and 20°C in here, I'd call that comfortable." Shinji deadpanned.

"Well, its hot outside." Misato retorted. "So I'm dressed appropriately."

"Misato, I don't think it's legal for you to go outside looking like that." Shinji said. "You're… hanging out of everything."

"Shinji, you perv, you're looking?" Misato joked.

"Not by choice…" Shinji said. "It's like its being thrown in my face."

"Don't sound so ungrateful, Shinji." Misato said. "A lot of guys your age would love to see me like this."

"Maybe if they're into MILFs…" Shinji muttered. "And I'm not ungrateful, I'm just embarrassed for you…"

"Did you just call me a MILF?!" Misato shouted.

"Did I stutter?" Shinji shot back.

"Shinji, you're so mean!" Misato yelled. "I'm not old enough to be a MILF! I'm not even 30! I'm still 28!"

"Oh, that was so worth it." Shinji laughed so hard he almost fell out of the chair. "Your reaction made my day, you totally overreacted."

"Shinji, that's not nice!" Misato shouted.

"You tease me all the time, Misato, it's time for some payback." Shinji said.

"Didn't think you'd have it in you, Shin–chan." Misato hugged him tightly from behind. "I'm so proud of you."

"Ah get off Misato!" Shinji yelled. "Your boobs are crushing my head!"

"Alright, I'll stop, ya crybaby…" Misato said sadly. "So, you know we have the Unit–00 activation test tomorrow, so you'll be on standby to deal with any… issues."

"Yeah, I remember what Dr. Akagi told us earlier, I wasn't that out of it." Shinji replied.

Misato walked over to her purse and pulled something out of it. "Well, you'll need this to get in tomorrow." Misato handed him a new ID card. "You're new ID card, it finally came today."

Shinji took the card and saw his picture on the front. "Oh look, a shitty picture of me."

"You still look cute, just relax." Misato said. "So, always have that with you, Shinji, otherwise you can't get into HQ."

"For a secret organization, you take an awfully long time to make security cards." Shinji said. "I've been here for like a month, do they make the cards themselves?"

"Well, yes, I think they do…" Misato said.

"Well, that sort of explains it…" Shinji replied, completely dumbfounded.

"Also, could you do me a favor, Shinji?" Misato asked.

"Uh… sure." Shinji said.

"Can you take this other card to Rei?" Misato handed over an identical card for Rei. "Hers is expired, and I forgot to give it to her when we saw her. Can you drop it off to her in the morning? She lives in the old section of town, from when this place was still called Hakone, and not Tokyo–3."

"Me?" Shinji asked as he stared at the picture of Rei on the card. "I barely know her…"

"Oh, getting flustered by a pretty girl's picture, Shinji?" Misato teased. "Does someone have a crush? You think she's sexy don't you?"

"No, it's not that… I just… barely know her." Shinji stammered. "I don't go to strangers houses' unannounced… it would be… weird."

"So, you don't find her cute then?" Misato asked innocently.

"Well… I… she's quite cute…but… I mean… I just want to be friends…" Shinji continued stammering as he stood up. "I mean…she has kind eyes…"

"Oh, Shinji!" Misato said. "You're in love!"

"No I'm not!" Shinji moaned. "Stop teasing me, Misato!"

"Payback's a bitch, eh?" Misato winked.

"Shut up, Misato." Shinji replied.

"So, will you go?" Misato asked.

"Yeah… I'll go." Shinji said. "But only if you say please."

"Will you go, Shinji, _please_?" Misato mock begged.

"Now I will." Shinji said happily as he walked to his room. When he got to the door, he saw a sign on his door that read "Shinji's Lovely Suite" and was situated inside a heart, he called out to Misato. "Misato… what's this on my door?"

Misato came over and chuckled. "Oh, that's your new room plaque, don't you like it?"

"Yeah… it's nice." Shinji asked. "Did you make it?"

"Yep, while your friends were here earlier." Misato said.

"Why did you make it?" Shinji asked.

"Well, I thought it'd be a nice surprise." Misato said happily. "That and you hadn't decorated your room yet, so I thought I'd give you the first decoration."

"Thanks, Misato." Shinji hugged Misato tightly. "It was really thoughtful of you to do that."

"You're welcome." Misato returned the hug. "Goodnight, Shinji." Misato let Shinji go. "Sleep well."

"Goodnight, Misato." Shinji let go of Misato. "See you in the morning."

* * *

August 9, 2015 – Tokyo–3, Old Hakone Quarter

Shinji was walking along to Rei's apartment as Misato had instructed him to do. He was in the old section of town, and everything looked run down. The concrete facades were cracked and weathered, and several buildings in the area were half deconstructed, the road heavily worn and cracked, with weeds coming up between the cracks. The plants along the row of buildings were heavily overgrown. The lines in the road were faded. The entire area looked abandoned.

Shinji looked at one of the buildings and saw it was the one he was looking for. 'Ayanami lives here… alone?' Shinji thought. 'No wonder she's depressed all the time, it's a fucking shit hole. I'd be depressed too if I lived here…'

Shinji walked upstairs till he got to the fourth floor. The building on the inside was just as dank and degraded as it looked on the outside. Shinji found apartment 402 without any problem. The door of the apartment was scuffed and the paint was starting to peel.

'Why does Ayanami live here?' Shinji thought. 'She could live somewhere so much nicer, or that looks like it has running water.' Shinji pressed the doorbell, but he didn't hear it ring. 'What a surprise, it's broken…' Shinji thought sarcastically. Shinji tried the door, and found it was unlocked. 'Who leaves a door unlocked, that's so damn unsafe…' Shinji pushed the door open and went inside.

"Um… hello…" Shinji called out. "Ayanami? Are you home? It's Shinji… I mean Pilot Ikari. Hello?" Shinji walked cautiously into the apartment. He slipped off his shoes in the entry way and walked inside.

Shinji closed the door behind him. Rei's mailbox was overflowing with junk mail, which had spilled on the floor. The floor was dirty and covered in stuff marks. Shinji walked into the apartment, he walked past the sink and the stove that looked dirty, and an old refrigerator that was humming loudly. He walked into Rei's bedroom and looked around. Even though it was bright outside, the dirty curtains, blocked out most of the sunlight, making the room look darker ad danker than it actually was. Her room was filthy with garbage strewn around like it didn't matter. The light in her room was broken, her bed and pillow had dried bloodstains, and was covered in what looked like clean clothes. There was a mini–fridge in her room, with a half dozen medication on top of it. There was a cardboard box filled with bloody bandages. On Rei's only dresser, was a pair of cracked and twisted glasses. Shinji walked over to the dresser and looked at them.

'I didn't think Ayanami had glasses, whose are these?' Shinji thought. He looked at them and saw the name "G. Ikari" inscribed on them. 'Are these… my father's?' Shinji thought.

Shinji heard a noise from behind him and turned around to see Rei standing there, completely naked, her body strategically covered by her threadbare towel. Her pale blue hair still had droplets of water in it, making it glisten in the small amount of light pouring into the dirty apartment. Her crimson eyes simply stared at Shinji as always, locked on his own cobalt eyes like he was a museum exhibit needing to be studied.

"WAHHHHHHH!" Shinji screamed as the glasses dropped to the floor. "AYANAMI!"

'Ikari… are you here… to see me? Why is he acting so afraid?' Rei thought until she saw Gendo's glasses clattering to the floor. 'Papa's glasses… why was Ikari holding them?'

Rei moved forward and bent over to pick the glasses up as Shinji stammered like an idiot. "I… I'm sorry… I didn't think… I swear I didn't see anything… I'm not a pervert… I'm really sorry…"

Rei stood up and gently folded the glasses up as Shinji tried to leave, but his bag caught the top drawer of Rei's dresser, and knocked Shinji off balance, sending Shinji flying into Rei, and knocking them to the ground, as Rei's panties and bras rained down from the pulled out drawer. Rei landed on her towel, gently clutching Gendo' glasses, and looked unaffected by the events. The pair's eyes met, Shinji looked worried and surprised, where Rei had that 1,000 yard stare she always did.

'I hope she's ok…' Shinji thought. 'Her eyes really do look kind… even if they always look so stern… the kindness is there…'

'Why do I feel… like… is it excitement… I cannot identify it… but I know it is because Ikari is this close to me…' Rei thought as she looked up blankly at Shinji. "Ikari… could you move your hand… its very cold…"

"What?" Shinji looked down to see that his hand was on Rei's breast. "AAAHHHHHH!" He jumped up like he'd been electrocuted and began apologizing and rambling. "I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to touch like that… I know it's not right… I'm sorry… I only came to give you your card… because yours expired…."

As Shinji continued to ramble, Rei stood up, not bothering to cover herself, and took the glasses and put them gently into a case. "Pilot Ikari… why did you come to see me?"

Shinji looked over at rei again 'Why is she naked! Why isn't she freaking out? Oh God, now she must think I'm a pervert!' Shinji thought. "I… your card…" Shinji stammered. "Misato asked me to drop it off… it expired… and it's been renewed… I rang the doorbell… but it didn't work… your door was unlocked…I just wanted to drop it off… I'm sorry… I'm really sorry…"

As Shinji stammered, Rei was silently pulling on her panties and listening patiently. 'Why is he so flustered? I am only in my natural state… does he not walk around like this at home?' Rei slid on her bra and turned around. "You can leave the card on the little fridge." Rei said calmly.

Shinji was breathing heavily, and began fumbling for the card in his bag. "I'm sorry!" Shinji slammed the card down and ran out of the apartment.

'I'm such an idiot…' Shinji thought as he leaned against the door he'd just slammed. 'She must hate me now.'

'No one has ever come to see me here for anything… and no one has ever…touched me before like that… why am I so enthralled with… touching me…' Rei buttoned up her shirt. 'Why was Ikari so flustered about seeing me… he is a very odd boy… am I not… as Suzuhara puts it… attractive? I believe I may never know what his reason are, as it would be… awkward… to ask.' Rei put on her skirt. 'Why am I even having these… feelings? I usually don't feel anything… why am I having feelings now… I haven't had feeling since I became the second Rei… I should ask Dr. Akagi about all this, maybe she can help…'

–––

Toji walked into the Municipal Community Hospital in Tokyo–3 and went to the ICU. He was going to visit his sister, as he hadn't been to see her in the last few days. Toji walked into her room and saw her resting in the same position she had been the last time he came in to see her. Toji took his seat, like usual, next to her bed.

"Heya, Sakura…" Toji said, grabbing her hand and holding it gently. "Still napping, huh?"

Sakura just laid there, her chest rising and falling slowly, as she was able to breathe on her own. "So, they got you off the breathing machine, huh?" Toji smiled. "I'm glad, that means you're getting better."

Sakura lay there in silence.

"So… uh… that kid I knocked around the other day… he was the guy that actually… saved you. I uh… apologized to him and we're friends now." Toji moved some of Sakura's brown hair out of her face. "I still feel really bad for hitting him… I was angry that you got hurt, it blinded me from realizing his job kinda blows." Toji blushed. "Aw, shit… I swore in front of you, I'm sorry I know you hate it when I do that. Anyway… He saved me from the last monster that attacked, and I saw him inside his giant robot, he looked scared Sakura, and almost died trying to save me and Kensuke. He risked his life just to save a guy who beat him up, who does that?" Toji looked out the window. "First he risks his life to save you, then he risks his life to save me, he kinda is a real life hero." Toji laughed. "Yeah, I know a real life hero. But for a hero, he's pretty down to earth. I mean, he's a nice enough guy, pretty quiet, doesn't talk much, but I think he was staring to open up while we hung out earlier, I'm not so sure, he was pretty chatty with Hikari, which annoyed the crap out of me, and I'm not sure why."

Toji looked at Sakura and thought he saw a faint smile for a moment, but decided he was seeing things.

"Well, she made nice with him after I beat him up." Toji explained. "She cleaned up the blood and what not. And boy was she mad when she found out I beat him up. I wonder if she's got a crush on the new kid or something." Toji took a deep breath. "I know I'm rambling sis, but those doctors tell me people in comas like being talked to, so this is all I got that's interesting. I don't want to bother you with Kensuke's stuff, he's just crazy about these giant robots that the kid pilots."

"The purple one…" Toji heard.

"Yeah really big and purple, pretty cool if you ask me…" Toji said before realizing what he heard. "Sakura?!"

Sakura was stirring slightly, she opened her large hazel eyes and looked over at her brother. "SAUKRA!" Toji leaped up and hugged her. "You're awake, you're finally awake!"

"You're crushing me, Toji…" Sakura mumbled. "I'm still hurt, dummy."

"Sorry, sis." Toji said. "Should I get the doctor?"

"No, I've been awake since this morning, but I told them not to tell you." Sakura said. "Or anyone else."

"What?!" Toji said. "Why would you do that?!"

"I remember everything you told me about beating up that kid. I remember hearing you talking to me all this time and I wanted to yell at you to stop being so dumb." Sakura replied hoarsely. "You big idiot, what were you thinking?!"

"I told you, we made up already." Toji said defensively.

"Doesn't matter, Toji." Sakura said as forcibly as she could with her feeble voice. "You beat up the guy that saved me, that's not very nice at all."

"I apologized!" Toji shouted.

"I told you it doesn't matter." Sakura said. "I want to tell him I'm sorry myself, and I want to thank him for saving me."

"Why?" Toji asked.

"It's kinda simple, Toji, because he saved me, and I want to apologize for you being so dumb." Sakura said. "Boy you can be dense sometimes."

"I am not!" Toji said loudly.

"Oh, Toji…" Sakura chuckled. "You know, of all the stuff you told me the past few weeks, about this new kid you talked about a few times, you never even mentioned his name."

"Hang on, you heard everything I said?" Toji asked. "Everything?"

"Yes, it was like I was awake, but couldn't do anything but lay here like a vegetable." Sakura replied. "I mean all those times you cried, I just wanted to hug you and tell you I was ok, that I wasn't brain dead like they thought."

"Sis… you'll be a pal and not mention that to anyone… right?" Toji asked.

"I'll only tell that new kid, so he has something over you." Sakura said. "That'll be your punishment."

"Punishment?" Toji asked. "You're the younger sibling, you don't get to punish me?"

"I do when it involves you being a dummy." Sakura said. "But you still haven't told me the new kid's name."

"I… uh… only learned it the other day." Toji said rubbing the back of his head. "His name's Ikari, Shinji Ikari."

"Good, then I want to meet this Shinji Ikari." Sakura said.

"Sure, one you're out of here." Toji said. "Did the doctors have any idea when?"

Sakura's face fell. "No, they said I'm still pretty fragile, and don't want me to leave for a while. My spine and skull still need time to heal, and all my ribs too." Sakura looked at her brother with a brave smile. "But Shinji can visit me like this, I don't mind."

"Sis, Shinji's… uh… a kind of delicate person." Toji said. "From what Hikari told me, he feels guilty about stuff that isn't his fault sometimes, and if he sees you all banged up, he'll probably wind up blaming himself for this."

"You got that from Hikari?" Sakura asked. "You actually listened to her opinion?"

"Of course I did, sis." Toji said. "She's never been wrong about anything before."

"Well, ask him if he'll come see me, and let him make up his own mind." Sakura said.

"Fine, sis." Toji said rolling his eyes. "I just wish you could get out of here, it's lonely at home these days."

"I bet, dad and grandpa still working hard?"

"Yeah, double shifts a lot of the time, so I usually sit alone if I'm not here or at school." Toji said. "I might hang out at Ikari's more often now, seeing as he's closer to the hospital than our house is."

"As long as you're not just sitting alone somewhere." Sakura said. "I'd be worried."

"Well, I did ask the doctors if I could sleep here last week, but they said no." Toji said sadly.

"Do you really miss me that much, Toji?" Sakura asked.

"Well, yeah, it's pretty lonely being home alone while everyone is working at night, and barely seeing them before you leave in the morning for school." Toji said glumly. "It kinda blows."

"Hey, I promise I'll try really hard to get better, so I can come home and keep you company." Sakura said kindly. "But to make me feel better, you'll have to bring Shinji to see me."

"Fine, Sakura…" Toji exclaimed. "I'll ask Shinji to swing by, but he's busy a lot with those… uh… Evangelions after school, but I promise I'll get him here soon."

"You better, Toji." Sakura said. "Or I'll be pretty mad at you."

–––

Shinji was sitting outside Rei's apartment, waiting for her to walk out, and trying to relax after what had just happened.

'Man, I really made an ass of myself in there, I'm such an idiot.' Shinji thought sadly. 'She must hate me for… touching her like that.'

Rei walked by and glanced over at Shinji. She paused to stare blankly at him, and then continued walking along to her destination. Shinji got up and ran after her.

"Ayanami!" Shinji called out. "Wait up!"

The two arrived at the train station, and rode to the entrance of NERV HQ in silence. They were both thinking silently while they rode down to the Geofront.

'Why am I being so nervous around her?' Shinji thought. 'Are things going to be awkward now that I've seen her…' Shinji shook his head. 'No, I can't think like that, I have to try and fix this. I just wanted to be her friend… just have to think of something to say.'

'I wish Ikari would stop glancing over at me so much.' Rei thought. 'I am a person, but why are people always so afraid of me. I just do not understand people, perhaps Ikari's behavior is perfectly normal, I would not know.'

The train pulled into the station, and Rei got up quietly and put her book away. When they got off the train, Shinji tried talking to Rei again.

"Today is your reactivation test with Unit–00, isn't it?" Shinji asked. "Aren't you scared of getting back into your EVA after what happened?"

"Why would I be scared?" Rei said.

"Because, your EVA could go berserk again, you could get hurt again, or die!" Shinji exclaimed. "It could happen during a fight with an Angel, and it would put people in danger."

"I am replicable." Rei said plainly. "But if you understand the EVA, it will do as you wish it to. But you must understand."

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked. "How do you understand EVA?"

"You cannot be told how to understand EVA." Rei replied, pausing to turn to Shinji. "You must find out what EVA is for yourself, and only then can you truly grasp and control EVA." Rei looked right into Shinji's eyes. "Are you scared of your EVA?" Rei turned and went onto the escalator to the entrance.

Shinji rushed after her and got on right behind her. "Of course I'm afraid. Its stranger not to be scared." Shinji sighed. "It's a giant machine that has a tendency to go insane and hurt the pilot, like what happened to me my first time inside it, and what happened to you…"

"Can't you have faith in the Commander's work?" Rei asked. "In your father's work?"

"Never." Shinji said sternly. "I could never trust anything he does, he left me alone when my mother died, when I needed him the most. He only works for himself, and he's a selfish fuck who never loved anyone…"

Rei's eyes narrowed and she turned around. 'How dare you say that about papa, he loved me… did he not? He was always there for me, and he bought the first Rei that Mew, a sign of his love and affection… how dare you Ikari…'

SLAP

Rei turned back around silently. 'Why… did I do that?' Rei thought. 'Did I just feel… anger… or was I hurt by what Ikari said? I just do not know… and I do not understand these emotions I'm having, they are very confusing. I wish they would go away again, as they are hard to control.'

Shinji just stood there in stunned silence. 'Why did she slap me? Was Rei defending… my father? Why would she do that?'

–––

Shinji sat inside his Entry Plug, waiting for Rei's test to be over so he could go home. He saw on his monitor displaying the Cage that Rei and Gendo were talking.

'Why are they talking so much?' Shinji thought. 'My father barely talks to me, and I'm his son, what is Ayanami to him anyway?' Shinji sighed. 'Does he view her like a daughter or something?'

Shinji zoomed in on them talking, and noticed something interesting.

'Ayanami's smiling?' Shinji thought. 'She actually looks happy to be talking to him… who would be happy talking to father… bedsides my mother…'

Rei clambered into her Entry Plug as Gendo walked away.

'Good, this test can get started now.' Shinji said. 'I want t go home and relax more. This job I have is stressful.'

–––

Shinji was waiting patiently in Unit–01 just outside the Test Cage, looking worriedly at the display screen he had up showing the inside of the Test Cage.

'I hope everything is going alright…' Shinji thought. 'I just don't want Ayanami to get hurt again… and I don't want to injure her if I have to stop Unit–00…'

In Central Dogma, the scene was just as tense, as the final parts of the reactivation test were underway, with Maya monitoring everything as she always did. Gendo, behind his steely façade, was also nervous, and he hoped that Rei would be alright.

"Configuring the language logic interface for Japanese… all preliminary contacts have been established and are holding… performance is nominal… opening bi–directional circuits now…" Maya said, tapping the console in front of her. "Bi–directional circuits are now open… brain wave pattern and harmonics are normal… pilot life signs are optimal and steady… pilot synchronization ratio is at 24.8%… Evangelion Unit–00 is now online again… and on standby for neve link–up." Maya said with a note of relief. "Rei's sync score is up 9.7% from the last test, can we continue?" Maya asked.

"Yes, please continue Maya." Ritsuko said, a look of shock on her face. "Commander we're beginning the final sequence now." Ritsuko looked up to Gendo in his command chair. 'How did she improve her score that much without any sync tests since she was inside that damn thing the last time?!' Ritsuko thought savagely.

"You may proceed, Dr. Akagi." Gendo said.

"Understood Commander." Ritsuko said. "Ok, Maya, just be wary of any changes in the stats. We don't want a repeat of last time."

"Yes, ma'am… proceeding with safe–mode activation to check functionality… establishing nerve connections with the pilot now." Maya said. "Nerve connections are established through 1840… 1950… 2120… preparing for third stage connection… clear to 2580… 2670… 2880… counting down to absolute borderline in 120… 90… 70… 20… absolute borderline passed… nerve connections are steady… Evangelion Unit–00 is online… and stable… all indications are that Unit–00 has activated safely."

"Shut it down then, and then we can stow both EVAs." Misato said. "Or do you want to run a sync test, Ritsuko?"

"No, Shinji and Rei's scores are up this should be enough." Ritsuko said. "They can have the rest of the day off." Ritsuko opened a line to Rei. "Rei, you're all set, you'll be out of there in a few minutes."

Rei was sitting in the Entry Plug, and a long stream of bubbles came out of her mouth before she replied. She had the case holding Gendo's glasses in her hands. 'Thank you, Rei… for not causing an issue today.' Rei pressed her comm button. "Understood, Dr. Akagi."

Back in central dogma, everyone was getting ready for a calm rest of the day, after the tense activation of Unit–00. However, not everything is so easy.

"Captain, an alert just came in, a massive Pattern Orange is inbound!" Aoba shouted.

"Activate the high–powered sensors and see what the hell is coming at us." Misato turned to Gendo. "Commander, a Pattern Orange is inbound, orders sir?"

"Can we sortie Unit–00 to intercept?" Fuyutsuki asked. "It's in the best position to attack, perhaps give Shinji a break and put Rei to work in combat?"

"No, as nice as that would be, Unit–00 is not configured for combat as of yet." Gendo said plainly. "We'll send out Unit–01, it is on standby, is it not?"

"Yes, sir." Misato said. "Shinji, move to the launch elevators now, a Pattern Orange has been detected."

" _Ok, Misato, I'm moving._ " Shinji replied over the comm. " _I'll be on the elevator in 30 seconds._ "

"Ma'am, its Pattern Blue!" Hyuga shouted. "It's an Angel!"

"Level–1 battle stations!" Misato ordered. "Aoba, prep a Pallet Rifle for deployment. Maya, find an intercept path for Unit–01… let's get ready to rumble, Fifth Angel…"

"Ah, so Ramiel, you've finally arrived…" Gendo muttered.

–––

"Evangelion Unit–01… LAUNCH!" Misato ordered.

Unit–01 and Shinji slid up the launch elevator at high speed once again. At least this time Shinji wasn't screaming, as he was used to the acceleration from take off. Shinji emerged from the exit point and looked out towards Lake Ashinoko. All he saw was a pearlescent blue Octahedron was floating toward Tokyo–3 extremely slowly.

Ramiel was coming.

"That's the Angel?" Shinji asked. "It doesn't look dangerous or creepy like the others. I could go get a D–20 and roll for a Nat–20, maybe that'll kill it."

" _Shinji, this isn't the time for humor!_ " Misato said. " _Deploy you're A.T. Field and prepare to engage the enemy._ "

"Yeah, I know, deploy my A.T. Field, neutralize its A.T. Field, and blow its Core away." Shinji said. "I'm on it."

The octahedron split open along its edges and began to spin around widely, revealing its Core. A high–pitched when could be heard by Shinji in the Entry Plug as it continued to spin around on its longitudinal axis, and its Core began to glow a bright purple.

"What the hell?" Shinji said. "Misato… what's going on?"

In Central Dogma, alarms were going off.

"Ma'am, the Angel's power output is spiking!" Maya shouted, displaying a reading of its Core on the main screen. "I think it's preparing for an attack!"

" _Shinji, look out!_ " Misato shouted over the comm.

"What?!" Shinji said as a massive energy beam shot out from the center of Ramiel towards Unit–01. "Not again!" The beam disintegrated several buildings to impact its intended target. The beam easily bypassing the A.T. Field of Unit–01, like it wasn't even there.

"AHHHHHHH!" Shinji cried out. "IT HURTS! MISATO, HELP ME! MY CHEST IS BURNING!"

Inside the Entry Plug, a bright light was focused on Shinji's chest, marking the spot where Unit–01 was being burned. "MISATO, PLEASE, I NEED HELP! IT HURTS!"

" _Hyuga, put up the blast shield, now!_ " Misato shouted.

A section of the road lifted up to block the beam from continuing its assault on Unit–01. It was coated with an energy displacing polymer they dissipated the beam on impact. Ramiel ceased his attack, and the blast shield began cooling down.

Shinji was breathing heavily. He was clutching his chest. "Misato, get me out of here!"

" _We're working on it Shinji, hold on!_ " Misato said.

Ramiel began spinning around again, the high–pitched whine being heard once again. Ramiel changed his shape again, into what appeared a six–pointed star showing off four glowing Cores. Everything spun until the four Cores glowed a bright purple, and then the four beams converged in front of Ramiel into a massively powerful blast. The blast was so powerful that it visibly blew Ramiel back several meters.

The blast was rough and was full of unbridled energy. It congealed into a bright yellow beam that disintegrated the blast shield easily, and once it impacted Unit–01, it turned into a massive cross–shaped blast that engulfed Unit–01.

"AHHHHHHH! MISATO!" Shinji pleaded. "HELP ME, PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP!" Shinji started to cry while he pleaded. "PLEASE, SOMEONE MAKE IT STOP! IT HURTS!"

The LCL around Shinji was bubbling furiously, and it was lit up with a large focused point on the chest.

Central Dogma was a flurry of activity. Alarms were sounding and alerts were popping on the main screen that only displayed a bright yellow light from Ramiel's beam.

"Captain, the armor on Unit–01 is begin superheated, integrity will only last a little while longer! Unit–01's A.T. Field is barely having any effect!" Hyuga shouted.

"LCL temperature is rising rapidly, it's at 47.8°C and still rising!" Maya shouted. "Pilot life signs are critical!"

"The A.T. Field of the Angel is being used offensively, that's what it's attacking with!" Aoba reported. "We can't counter that!"

"Fine, forget the Angel, eject the Entry Plug immediately!" Misato ordered.

"Belay that order." Gendo said.

"Commander!" Misato shouted. "He's going to die if we don't do something!"

"Captain!" Ritsuko shouted. "If you eject the Entry Plug, the A.T. Field keeping Unit–01 barely intact will collapse, and we will lose an Evangelion, which is something we cannot afford to do. The EVA is far more important than the pilot at this point!"

Misato and the rest of the bridge crew were stunned into silence as Shinji's desperate pleas continued coming over the comm line. Misato's brow furrowed as she tried to think of a solution to get what everyone wanted.

'I'm not losing Shinji.' Misato thought. 'He just came back, I don't want to lose him!'

"Captain, orders?!" Hyuga implored.

"Ma'am, please, hurry, Shinji's vitals are going out of control!" Maya pleaded.

Misato huffed loudly and slammed her hands down on the control console. "Fine, I'll save them, both! Detonate the emergency bolts, now!" Misato ordered. "Sink the entire city block!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Hyuga replied. "Emergency release of city block, dropping it into the Geofront!"

The city block dropped with Unit–01 still in place, the beam followed it–01 until the angle of attack was too great. As soon as Unit–01 was out of range, Ramiel ceased his attack and returned to his octahedral form.

"Get Shinji out of that thing, now!" Misato ordered. "Emergency medical teams to the recovery point, all priorities are on the recovery and health of the pilot!"

"Maya, begin emergency cool down of the LCL so the medical terms can get to Shinji!" Ritsuko ordered. "Hyuga, maximum power to the LS Pack, stimulate cardiac massage!"

Unit–01's Entry Plug covering was forced open, and the Entry Plug was pulled out, the main hatch was blown off, and the LCL spilled all over the place. Shinji was recovered his plugsuit was cut off of him and he was placed in a hyperbaric chamber, barely alive, with a massive glowing wound on his chest.

* * *

August 10, 2015 – Central Dogma

Misato, Ritsuko and the main bridge crew were all sitting and looking at the status of Ramiel on the main screen in Central Dogma. Misato was pacing, and trying to figure out an appropriate counterattack to the Geometric Angel.

"Where is it moving to?" Misato asked.

"Well, after it tried to kill Shinji it just floated there for 12 hours." Hyuga reported. "Its power levels dropped significantly too, so logically, I think it was recharging or something. It fired off that intense beam for over 90 seconds. In that time it expended the equivalent of the _Tsar Bomba's_ output _per second_."

"How is that even a comparison?" Misato asked.

"The _Tsar Bomba_ had a maximum yield of 100,000 kT of TNT in explosive power, and that Angel pumped that out for 90 seconds." Hyuga explained. "The fact an Angel blew out that kind of power was astonishing, but it drained the hell out of it, and it appeared to need time to recover."

"Ok… so it can blow a huge load, have sandwich and get back to work?" Misato asked.

"Yes…?" Hyuga said uncertainly. "If you're refereeing to its attack as…"

"I am, Hyuga." Misato said. "I need to break the damn tension in this room."

"Misato this isn't the time for…" Ritsuko started.

"I'm aware of that, but if we're too tense, we'll never figure a way to kill this son of a bitch." Misato snapped. "So back off, Ritsuko."

"Fine…" Ritsuko muttered. 'She never takes anything seriously, does she?' Ritsuko thought. 'Is this all a fucking game to her?'

"And now?" Misato asked. "What's it planning?"

"It's hovering over us, its ventral tip is directly above the tip of HQ's pyramid." Aoba said. "We're not sure what it's about to do. It's just sitting there…"

"Wonderful…" Misato quipped. "What about Shinji and Unit–01?"

"Shinji was injured superficially, his nerves received an overload of pain, causing him massive cardiac, gastrointestinal, and mental stress." Ritsuko said. "Not to mention if that beam lasted any longer, he may have died."

"Is he in recovery?" Misato asked.

"Yes, he is recovering, and I sent Rei to look after him and let us know the moment he wakes up." Ritsuko explained. "Unit–01 on the other hand, not in the best shape."

"How bad is it?" Misato inquired.

"The armor is severely damaged in places, although the main part of the beam only pierced the chest, the rest of the damage is heat related." Ritsuko explained. "Maya is coordinating the repairs."

"Unit–01's thermal damage will take some time to repair, but we're patching up the important and most severe damage so it can be redeployed as soon as Shinji is awake." Maya reported. "I'm working on getting a time to completion now, ma'am."

"Good, sounds like things are moving along." Misato said. "Now we just have to wait for the other shoe to drop…"

–––

Ramiel floated in position directly over NERV HQ. The bottom of its octahedral form began to twirl and twist into a point, and slowly lengthen into what looked like an infinitely spinning drill.

The tip impacted the ground and slowly began to chew away at the material beneath it, hoping to get where the last two Angels had failed to get, Terminal Dogma.

–––

"Uh… Captain, I figured out what's its doing." Hyuga said.

"What?!" Misato exclaimed.

"It's drilling straight for us." Hyuga reported. "It's using its physical A.T. Field as a damn drill…"

"Just great…" Misato quipped angrily. "Just what we need, a creative Angel."

–––

Shinji was sitting in a train car, alone as an endless landscape kept going past outside. He was bathed in an orange light from the perpetual sunset outside the windows.

"I hate being an EVA pilot." Shinji said to himself. "I'm sent up into danger, and almost killed on a regular basis."

Another Shinji appeared to him, the Shinji from the day his father abandoned him, the duffel bags and backpack of his belongings he was sent with sitting next to the young Shinji. " _Then why pilot the EVA?_ " He asked.

"I pilot to protect my friends." Shinji replied. "To keep them safe."

" _What about those friends of yours?_ " The young Shinji asked.

"What about them?" Shinji said.

" _Do they like you because you pilot the EVA, or do they like you for you?_ " Young Shinji asked.

Now, Rei appeared to Shinji in addition to his younger self. "Why do you pilot, Ikari? If you are so afraid, why not just leave."

"I want to protect my friends!" Shinji said.

"Even if you are unsure if they truly like you?" Rei asked.

" _Even if you don't entirely trust them?_ " Young Shinji added.

"Of course I trust them, Hikari hasn't lied to me at all, and Toji felt bad for hitting me!" Shinji shouted.

" _Can you ever trust someone who beat you up?_ " Young Shinji asked. " _You must be an idiot if you think he actually likes you, and that girl, she just tolerates you, she doesn't think of you as a friend, just someone famous who makes her look more popular._ "

"No, you're wrong!" Shinji shouted. "You don't know them at all!"

" _Why do you truly pilot EVA?_ " Young Shinji asked. " _Protecting your friends is an excuse, you don't like them at all._ "

"YES I DO!" Shinji roared. "YOU CAN'T TELL ME HOW I THINK!"

" _Of course I can, Shinji._ " The young Shinji said. " _I am you, and you can't hide anything from yourself._ "

"He is right, Pilot Ikari, you cannot lie to yourself." Rei said. "If you cannot be truthful to yourself, you will have trouble in your life."

"How would you know, you hide yourself away in books all the time!" Shinji snapped. "You can't be serious! You don't talk to anyone!"

"Because no one will talk with me." Rei said calmly.

"Well, you have to try to talk to someone if they won't talk to you!" Shinji exclaimed. "Hikari taught me that, you can't be alone forever!"

" _She might hide herself away, but isn't it worse to pretend around people who think they are friends with you?_ " Young Shinji said.

"I am friends with them!" Shinji shouted again. "They are my friends!"

" _That's right, keep lying to yourself, Shinji._ " Young Shinji quipped. " _That will get you ahead in life, and then they'll leave you just like your mother did._ "

"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER!" Shinji shouted. "MY MOTHER DIDN'T LEAVE ME!" He heard a loud passing train whistle and his eyes opened to reveal a bright light and still in a daze from being unconsciousness looked over and thought he saw someone he recognized.

"Mother…" Shinji said with several tears streaming down his face. "You're didn't leave me right? You didn't want to leave me, right?"

"Pilot Ikari, you are awake?" Rei said in a confused voice. "Do you not recognize me?"

Shinji's focus returned when he heard Rei speak. "Ayanami?" Shinji blushed. "I'm sorry, I was… just confused when I woke up."

"It is of no consequence, Pilot Ikari." Rei replied.

"Ayanami, how long have you been sitting here?" Shinji asked.

"Since you were recovered from the Entry Plug." Rei replied. "Dr. Akagi ordered me to look after you, and to notify her and Captain Katsuragi when you were awake. Now that you are, I will be back momentarily." Rei stood up and placed a tray next to Shinji's bed. "You should eat, as we don't know when we will be leaving."

"Leave?" Shinji said. "Leave for where?"

"To deal with the Angel." Rei said from the door. "Captain Katsuragi is finalizing a plan to deal with the enemy."

"I can't pilot against that thing again, I barely survived the last time!" Shinji exclaimed.

"What about your friends? Do you not want to protect them?" Rei asked.

"What?" Shinji asked. "How do you…" Shinji looked at her intently. 'Was it really you in my nightmare, Ayanami?'

"Dr. Akagi told me your reason to keep piloting…" Rei said plainly. "It seems that their lives are in danger, meaning you should get ready to pilot again. Unless you lied about why you are still piloting the EVA."

"I didn't lie!" Shinji said louder than he meant to.

"Then prove it, Pilot Ikari." Rei said, leaving the room. "I will be back shortly."

–––

Misato was sitting in a room with a large table, surrounded by people in the tactical department. Maya, Ritsuko, Aoba, and Hyuga were there and sitting directly around Misato.

"Ok, we need to think." Misato said. "Tactical analysis."

"After an analysis using dummies and live weapons, the Angel is surmised to take out any perceived threat within a 7,500m radius." A skinny man, Junior Lieutenant Reed said.

"So, close quarters combat is off the table then." Misato said. "That limits our options a lot. What about its A.T. Field?"

"It's up and running, ma'am." Maya replied. "It appears that its body is a physical manifestation of its A.T. Field, and this field is more powerful than we could have ever thought. It's also in a state of flux, which allows it the ability to shift its body's shape. With that kind of unpredictability, it will be nearly impossible to neutralize."

"The MAGI have calculated that a strike of N2 Mines would be powerful enough to wipe out the Angel and bypass its A.T. Field." Hyuga said. "But, the blast would also be powerful enough to destroy not only Tokyo–3, but the entire Geofront as well."

"The MAGI systems in Matsushiro, Nevada, Massachusetts, and Berlin came to identical conclusions." Ritsuko said, flipping through a bunch of reports. "And the Japanese Government and U.N. are suggesting we self–destruct NERV HQ."

"We are not blowing ourselves up to stop this thing, that's a stupid ass plan… typical politicians, talking out their asses all the time." Misato grumbled. "And nuking the thing is out too. It practically perfect in terms of both offend and defense."

"Captain, we do have a time limit for response." A portly man Lieutenant said. "Its drill is currently working through the second armor plate now. With a bore of 17.5m it could theoretically drop its A.T. Field long enough, or collapse to a small enough form to slip down here and destroy us."

"We only have 24 of the 25 armor belts installed, and at its current rate of penetration gives us only 11 hours 17 minutes until it breaks through." Aoba reported. "According to the MAGI, at 6 minutes 54 seconds past midnight, the Angel will have broken though our defenses."

"Unit–00 isn't calibrated for combat, so that just leaves us Unit–01." Hyuga reported.

"And the damage to Unit–01 is worse than initial thought." Ritsuko replied. "Its armor plates are damaged several layers down, and it will need two weeks for full repairs, emergency repairs are being effected now, and it should be combat ready in six hours."

"Things aren't looking great for us are they? And we can't let it get down here, otherwise we'd be at its mercy." Misato said. "What options do we even have to fight?"

"Well, we always have the option to send up a white flag, Captain." Hyuga suggested.

"Hell no." Misato said. "I don't believe in a no–win scenario."

"Misato, this isn't a simulation you can cheat." Ritsuko said. "And you're no James T. Kirk. We don't really have many options."

"Well, we can't attack it up close or at range." Misato said, and then she slammed her hand down hard on the table. "How about at extreme range? Let's shoot the fucker."

"With what exactly?" Ritsuko said. "Our Positron Rifle isn't exactly complete, and according the numbers Maya has, we'd need roughly 85% the power output of Japan to blow this thing away. Well beyond the output of our own weapon."

"I remember reading a report on a weapon that the JSSDF are working on, a high powered, external source, Positron Beam Rifle." Misato stated. "And it doesn't have an upper limit on output listed in the report if I'm not mistaken."

"No, not possible." Ritsuko said. "You're talking about a super long range sniper shot with pinpoint accuracy. You're insane."

"Well, they said the _Titanic_ was unsinkable, and that was proved wrong." Misato said defiantly. "We can win this… we _will_ win this!"

"How do we plan on getting the power necessary?" Hyuga asked.

"By getting that rifle and transferring all the power Japan has collectively into a shot to kill that damn Angel." Misato explained. "We'll have a blackout and shunt all the power to the rifle, we can set up transformers temporarily to transfer the power to the best position to snipe it from, just outside its weapons range."

"Fine if we can get rifle, what would you call this insane proposition you think is worthy to be deemed a military level operation?" Ritsuko asked. "Not to mention the Commander's approval."

"Operation Yashima." Misato said. "Now, we have 11 hours, let's get started!"

–––

Shinji had been awake for a few hours. He had barely touched the food he had in front of him, as he felt sick to his stomach from everything that was going on. Rei had also not returned like she said she would.

'I wonder what happened to Ayanami?' Shinji thought. 'Maybe they didn't need me to pilot after all…'

Just as Shinji was trying to stomach more of the nutrient flavored slop they offered as hospital food, the door slid open, revealing Rei and her stern gaze, dressed in her marble white plugsuit holding a notebook and a book.

'Wishful thinking on my part.' Shinji thought sadly.

"Pilot Ikari, why have you not eaten?" Rei inquired. "You must have your strength if we are to succeed against the Angel."

"How? My EVA got blasted apart by that thing, they can't have it ready for combat yet." Shinji asked in return. "They might work fast, but they can't make miracles happen."

"For the operation, they say it is in good enough condition to fight." Rei replied. "As for you, put this on." Rei placed a sealed plugsuit on his bed. "You'll need that for when we depart."

"Why should I go?" Shinji asked her defiantly. "I almost died, again! I can't keep being so damn lucky all the time. I'm eventually going to get killed out there!"

"Everyone dies eventually." Rei said somberly. "Captain Katsuragi has told me to brief you on the operation's timetables." Rei opened her notebook and read from it. "Operation Yashima timetable for August 10, 2015 to August 11, 2015. Pilots Ikari and Ayanami will assemble in Cage #7 at 1730 hours. At 1800 hours, EVA Unit–01 and EVA Unit–00 will be activated. At 1805 hours, both EVAs will launch. At 1830 hours, the EVAs and pilots will arrive at the temporary base set up on Mt. Mikuni, outside Tokyo–3. At 1845 hours, pilots will assemble for further instructions and operations guidelines. At 0000 hours, Operation Yashima will commence against the Fifth Angel." Rei closed her notebook. "So, Pilot Ikari, will you go into Unit–01 again, or will I have to pilot it myself?" Rei asked bluntly.

"What?" Shinji exclaimed. "We leave in 30 minutes?"

"Yes, and we must get to the cage on time, otherwise lives will be at stake." Rei gazed at Shinji. 'I was with you on the train, I know you are conflicted Ikari…' Rei thought. 'Do not back down… I do not know if I can do this alone.'

"But… I'm afraid." Shinji said. "I'm still in a lot of pain and I'm afraid to get hurt by that Angel again." Shinji looked at Rei intently. "It's not pleasant Rei, I could feel the beam tearing into the EVA, and I thought it was tearing into me. It felt like it was boring into my chest with the LCL boiling all around me."

"But you survived." Rei said not breaking her gaze on Shinji. "Do you remember our previous conversation?" Rei asked.

"Sort of…" Shinji said. "I was still waking up…"

"I told you to prove you were not lying about why you were piloting the EVA." Rei told him. "If you do not go, how will your friends be protected?" Rei asked. "If you do not fight, they may die because you did not stand up and fight."

'Why does she want me to pilot so badly, is she afraid? Does she even know what fear is? Does she just want me there so she isn't alone? I know I didn't like battling alone…' Shinji thought. "But…" Shinji muttered without thinking. "I don't know if I'm willing to die for my friends yet…"

"Then they are not truly our friends, as I understand the term." Rei replied.

"They are my friends!" Shinji shouted. "How would you know?!"

"I would not." Rei said as she started to walk out.

"Wait, Ayanami!" Shinji leapt out of bed, unaware he was not wearing anything. "Ayanami, I didn't mean to yell at you!" Shinji reached for Rei's shoulder and she stopped. "They are my friends… I shouldn't have yelled at you, I'm sorry."

"Ok." Rei said turning around to face him. "So will you pilot, or leave?"

"I'll stay and pilot." Shinji said. "You shouldn't have to fight alone. I know how that feels."

"Then you should get dressed and eat." Rei said after looking Shinji over. "You cannot fight in your current condition."

"What do you…" Shinji looked down and saw he was naked. "AHHHHH!" Shinji screamed, covering his manhood with his hands. "I'm sorry… I didn't realize… I thought I was… I didn't mean to… I'm sorry!"

"From what I understand from overhearing Dr. Akagi and Captain Katsuragi talking, you do not have anything to be sorry about." Rei turned around. "I'll wait outside for you to finish. Just make sure you eat something before we depart."

"What…?" Shinji just stared at Rei and realized he had to get ready. 'Did she mean…?'

Rei took a seat outside the room and waited patiently. 'So that is what a boy looks like.' Rei thought. 'The anatomy books were very accurate after all. But why do I feel as though it is wrong that I looked?' Rei looked at the door. 'He saw me in a similar state yesterday and was quite flustered… perhaps I am having the same feeling of… embarrassment… no perhaps it's… surprise? I must talk to Dr. Akagi about all these feelings… they are quite difficult to deal with and comprehend… and they only seem to happen around Ikari…'

–––

Toji, Hikari, and were sitting on the roof the school. They were waiting to go to the shelter as according to Kensuke, this is where the EVA would emerge momentarily.

An announcement could be heard echoing throughout the school, as it was all over Japan, from Sapporo to Tokyo–2 to Okinawa to everywhere in between.

" _Attention… Attention… Tonight at 11:30p until 5:30a tomorrow morning, there will be a large scale nationwide power outage. We ask all citizens for their cooperation during this time. To repeat… Tonight at 11:30p until 5:30a tomorrow morning, there will be a large scale nationwide power outage. We ask all citizens for their cooperation during this time._ "

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, no lights or late night videogames, jeez!" Toji shouted towards the loudspeaker. "Come on, man." Toji exclaimed. "I wanna get back to the hospital before the power goes out! I don't want my sister to be alone for this."

"Relax, I checked my dad's files, at 6:05p Unit–01 is schedules for launch." Kensuke said as he was setting up his camera. "Just relax a bit, it's just 6:04p, I'm sure they'll literally be up in a minute."

"Why don't we all go to the hospital after this?" Hikari said. "That way none of us are alone."

"What about your younger sister?" Toji asked.

"She's off visiting my older sister with my grandmother, so I'm all alone tonight anyway." Hikari said, looking out towards the hills. "You don't mind right?"

"Nah, and neither will Sakura." Toji said happily. "She wants to see both of you anyway, and she wants to meet the person that saved her."

"She wants to meet Shinji?" Kensuke asked. "Why?"

"She didn't really explain it too well, and I was just so glad she was awake." Toji said.

"Hey, guys, look!" Hikari said, pointing to the hillside. "Is that them?"

Unit–01 and Unit–00 emerged from the hillside, standing stoically before they began to move away from the launch point.

"Yeah, the purple one in front is him, the orange one must be Rei!" Toji exclaimed.

"It must be bad if they're deploying both." Kensuke said. "Worse than the last two."

"Does the power outage have something to do with them?" Hikari asked.

"Probably, but they can't use that much power." Kensuke said. "It must be for a weapon."

Hikari started waiving to them both. "Good luck you two, stay safe!" Hikari shouted. 'Please, don't get hurt, either of you.' Hikari thought.

Kensuke was filming as the two EVAs moved out. 'Wow, this is awesome, I just hope everything goes ok.'

"Good luck Shinji, good luck Rei." Toji muttered. "I hope guys are alright." Toji punched the air. "GO KICK SOME ASS GUYS!"

Shinji was sitting in the Entry Plug getting ready to move out when he realized where he was. 'Oh, that's the school. It looks so small from here.' Shinji thought as noticed something on the roof, and zoomed in, and saw it was his three friends, Hikari waving, Kensuke filming, and Toji standing with his fist raised in the air. 'Thanks guys… they really do care don't they… I should tell Kensuke to not hack into his dad's stuff though… I don't want the idiot to get in trouble.'

–––

When Shinji and Rei arrived at Mt. Mikuni, it was a hot bed of activity. There were massive transformers and generators all over the place, massive cables running in every direction. There was a hum that could be heard and felt inside the Entry Plug.

The two EVAs were moved into a temporary docking area, and Shinji and Rei stood and waited for Misato in a small staging area below the EVAs near a big gun. Misato walked up, followed moments later by Ritsuko and they both looked exhausted.

"Hello you two, glad you could make it." Misato said. "Shinji, how are you feeling?"

"Not fantastic." Shinji said. "But good enough to fight."

"Good, I'm glad you're here, Shinji, I really am." Misato said. "Rei, thank you for looking after Shinji while he was in the hospital."

"It was not a problem, Captain." Rei replied.

"So, you two need to know the plan." Misato said. "It's a little funky, but we'll roll with it. So listen carefully."

"Next to us is a Positron Beam Rifle." Ritsuko explained. "It's from the JSSDF, on loan, and it's what's going to be used to kill the Angel. It's still an experimental weapon though. According to our calculation with confirmation from the MAGI, with all of Japan's power pumped into it, it can punch through the Angel's A.T. Field like tissue paper. However, it doesn't have a targeting system, so, we had to link it with the Evangelion's Type–G equipment for precision targeting, seeing as it's an 8,500m shot you're taking. Essentially we've turned it into a massive sniper rifle. Now, about that shield over there." Ritsuko pointed to the shield. "We've jury–rigged it from the bottom of one of the United Nations Space Administration's Explorer Class Shuttles. It's 10cm of titanium–tungsten allow, covered in heat resistant carbon–carbon tiles, and has been coated five times with an ultra–dense electromagnetic dissipating coating. It can withstand the enemy's attack for an estimated 15 to 17 seconds."

"So, Shinji, you and Unit–01 will on the Positron Rifle, and Rei will handle defense in Unit–00." Misato ordered. "Got it you two?"

"Right, Misato." Shinji replied.

"Yes, Captain Katsuragi." Rei said, looking slightly dejected.

"Rei, the only reason we have you on defense is because of the precision needed for this operation." Misato explained. "Shinji's sync score is higher, so his ability to fine tune things is better than yours. We need that precision, and any edge we can get in this fight."

"I understand, Captain Katsuragi." Rei replied.

"Now, Shinji, positrons are effected by not only the Earth's gravitational pull, but also its rotation _and_ magnetic field, so they won't travel in a straight line." Ritsuko explained. "You need to correct for all that, ok?"

"But I've only ever trained with the other guns, not this thing." Shinji whinnied. "I'm not exactly prepared for this."

"Don't worry Shinji, the Type–G equipment will compensate for all that, just do like always and center the target and…" Ritsuko started.

"Pull the trigger." Shinji finished. 'If the fucking machine compensates why say anything?' Shinji thought angrily. 'Way to add more stress to this, Akagi…' Shinji looked at Misato. "What if my first shot misses?"

"Well, it takes 20 seconds to change out the fuse and cool the barrel for firing, and 30 seconds to charge the capacitors again." Misato explained sadly. "So, if you miss, we expect a counterattack almost immediately, and seeing as you'll be fairly immobile, and the shield only lasts for 15 to 17 seconds…"

"Then the first shot has to be the kill shot." Shinji said. 'Because of the shield, Rei would be vulnerable for too long, I can't take a second shot. We are so fucked.'

Rei looked visibly worried. 'So, I will throw down my life to save Ikari if I must. I am replaceable after all.'

"Yeah…" Misato said looking slightly worried herself. "But don't think like you need a second shot, Shinji. I know you can do it."

"Ok, at 2340 hours, after the lights go down, get in your EVAs and take your positions." Misato ordered. "At midnight, we kick this Angel's ass."

"Yes, ma'am." Shinji and Rei replied in unison.

–––

All across the country, the lights began to blink out of existence, as it was plunged into darkness, as the power was transferred to NERV's control from the next 6 hours. The electrical machinery on site began to hum to life, and a static could be felt in the air. On the temporary cage near the Entry Plugs, Shinji and Rei were sitting and watching as Tokyo–3 went dark from their respective platforms.

'All the lights have gone out…' Shinji thought. 'I hope everyone is ok, even Pen–Pen…' Shinji looked over at Rei, she was sitting with her legs clutched against her chest, and she looked worried. "You know, Ayanami, there's a chance we could both die on this mission." Shinji said sadly.

"Why?" Rei asked.

"Because we're up against the deadliest Angel yet." Shinji said. "And if I miss, that shield won't protect you or I long enough for me to get in a second shot."

"Then don't miss." Rei replied.

"I'll do my best." Shinji said.

Rei simply nodded. "I believe in you Ikari." Rei said. "You won't fail."

"Thank you…" Shinji said. "Ayanami, why do you pilot the EVA?"

"Because it is my link." Rei replied.

"Link?" Shinji asked. "To my father?"

'Yes, Ikari, to your father, and my papa…' Rei thought. "I have nothing else…" Rei said solemnly. "I feel like I was born to pilot an Evangelion. If I stopped being a pilot, then my life would no longer have purpose. I'd have nothing else to live for, and that's the same as being dead."

"The same as being dead?" Shinji repeated. "I know what that feels like. I was like that before I came here, before Hikari befriended me. I was just going through the motions of life." Shinji said. 'Why did I tell her all that? Maybe it's because we're so similar, or maybe it's because Ayanami has less than I do. I don't know, I'm lucky to have Toji, and Hikari, and Kensuke as friends now, but she's all alone in that grungy little apartment…'

'Why did Ikari tell me that? Was he trying to… cheer me up?' Rei thought. 'Perhaps he is trying to become my… friend… what an odd word… it means so much to everyone, yet all people have a different definition for it.' Rei looked up at the stars. "Ikari… its time." Rei said calmly. "Let's go."

"Oh, yeah, right…" Shinji replied awkwardly.

"Ikari." Rei said from the entrance to the Entry Plug, framed by the full moon behind her.

"Yeah?" Shinji said as he got on the ladder to the Entry Plug.

"You won't die. I'll protect you." Rei said, glancing at him. "Goodbye, Ikari."

Shinji just stared at Rei as she disappeared into her Entry Plug. "Ayanami…"

* * *

August 11, 2015 – Mt. Mikuni, Japan

Shinji was in positon as the sniper, while Rei and Unit–00 were stand a short distance away, holding the shield that may have to defend Shinji if he missed. It was now midnight, and everyone was putting all their faith into Shinji. Unit–01 was face down, holding the Positron Rifle in is hands. Behind it were nine dischargers that would send the burst of power to the rifle.

" _Shinji, whatever happens out there, thank you for trying your best, that's all I can ever ask for._ " Misato said to Shinji over the comm.

"Thank you Misato…" Shinji said as he breathed deeply.

" _Commence Operation Yashima!_ " Misato ordered. " _Prepare the Positron Beam Rifle for firing, initiate power grid connections!_ "

" _All regions now switching to primary and secondary sub–station systems… throwing all switches… transferring power now._ " Hyuga reported.

" _Switches activated… all power generator facilities are operating at 100%… reading for max output limit… activating first stage connections… all transmission lines are powered and stable… voltage and current is steady._ " Maya reported.

" _Go ahead everyone, all the way!_ " Misato ordered.

" _Activating stage two connections… sub–stations online… power transmission is maintaining maximum voltage… activating cooling system for stage three connections… releasing primary safeties on Positron Rifle… stage three connections are stable._ " Maya reported.

" _Good._ " Misato said. " _Now, activate the AIS and target the Angel to distract it as planned._ "

" _Roger._ " Hyuga said.

The weapons encampments from outside the city limits activated and opened fire on Ramiel with several hundred cruise missiles. The massive barrage did nothing as Ramiel shifted his form into a smaller octahedron with spindly arms jutting out of it. He released a beam that swept across the night sky, intercepting and destroying every missile before they even came close to him. It then fired on one of the missile launches, vaporizing the side of hill.

" _Continue the attack!_ " Misato ordered.

Several battleship type cannons activated, and fired at Ramiel from the hills as well. Ramiel changed shape again into a turbofan like object and deflected the shells. Ramiel then began shifting and attacking every weapon encampment he could sense. He vaporized as many as he could, blinking them out of existence with his bright purple and yellow blasts.

" _Stage four connections open and stable… voltage is still at maximum… ready for stage five connections ultra–high power discharge system._ " Maya reported.

" _Release final safety locks._ " Misato ordered. " _Load the fuse! Activate the Type–G equipment!_ "

A massive sight folded down in front of Unit–01's right eyes, and a large dish measured the precision of the system as it locked on.

" _Final safety locks released!_ " Hyuga replied. " _Rifle is ready to fire!_ "

" _Completing firing solution, compensation for gravity, rotation, and magnetic field at +0.0009… fire control system is online… cooling systems on standby… stage four capacitors at 97.3%… 97.8%… 98.3%… 98.9%… 99.5%… 99.9%… 100%… charged and ready for final transfer…_ "

" _Activate stage five connections!_ " Misato ordered.

" _Transferring all power to stage five ultrahigh discharge system… finalizing adjustment for Positron Rifle… commencing final countdown… 12… 11… 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5…_ " Hyuga reported.

Shinji was listening intently from inside the Entry Plug. 'God, when I came here, I thought it would be to see my father again, then I was told to pilot this thing, and now, all of humanity is depending on me for this one shot…'

" _3… 2… 1…_ " Hyuga said.

" _FIRE!_ " Misato shouted.

The target lined up and indicated a lock on the Core. "This is for shooting me you ugly, geometric bastard." Shinji pulled the trigger.

The dischargers behind Unit–01 flashed, and Positron Rifle fired a bright green burst of energy towards Ramiel's exposed Core. The shot impacted the side of the Core, causing Ramiel to splinter to into a massive starburst shape and sprayed blood everywhere. He began to sink, then slowly, the wound healed, and Ramiel reformed. In an instant counterattack, Ramiel changed forms into an unfolding five–pointed star, unfolding continuously until the beam was charged. With the high–pitched whine, he fired the massive bright purple blast towards Unit–01 and the temporary base.

"Shit!" Shinji shouted. "Misato, we have incoming fire!"

" _It missed?!_ " Misato screamed. " _It was a direct fucking hit!_ "

The blast was so powerful, it vaporized half the mountain. Several trucks and other vehicles were flipped and rolled by the shockwave. Once the blast cleared, purplish smoke and multiple fires were illuminating the blast site. Unit–01 had been thrown clear of the Positron Rifle, and Unit–00 had been thrown down the hill, unable to react in time to assist.

In the command truck, everyone was getting back to their feet after being rolled over several times.

"How's the power system?" Misato asked as she struggled to her feet.

"It's still online." Hyuga said. "It's already at 65% of capacity."

"And the positron cannon?" Misato inquired.

"It's got some superficial damage, but otherwise it seems operational." Maya reported.

"Good." Misato said. "Shinji, are you ok?"

In the Entry Plug, Shinji had managed to right Unit–01, and was breathing heavily from being hit by another blast from Ramiel.

" _SHINJI!_ " Misato shouted over the comm. " _RESPOND!_ "

"I'm fine Misato!" Shinji shouted. "Give me a damn second!"

" _Ma'am, the drill is 20 seconds from Geofront penetration!_ " Maya shouted.

" _Shinji, you have to fire as quickly as you can!_ " Misato yelled.

"I'm on it!" Shinji replied. 'Just have to get up…' Shinji thought. 'Come on, EVA get up!'

Shinji stood Unit–01 up slowly, and crawled over to the rifle and picked it up. HE positioned the EVA and the rifle back where they were a moment ago.

" _Barrel has been locked back in place… beginning cooling of barrel… charging systems are slow, estimated 50 seconds before firing._ "

From the command truck, everyone was worried. Misato clutched the cross around her neck. "Shinji… I know you can do this. You have all the power of Japan behind you. Everyone out there knows you can do this. We all believe in you Shinji."

In the Entry Plug, Shinji flipped the switch controlling the Type–G equipment to off.

" _Shinji, you've switched off the targeting components._ " Misato said. " _Is everything ok?_ "

"You said you trusted me Misato." Shinji said. "Please truest me, I can make this shot. The computer missed once, we can't afford a second miss. We may not survive this." Shinji breathed deeply. "Misato, I want to tell you something if this goes south. Thank you for believing in me, not just now, but always, even when I was acting like an ass, you always knew I'd be successful. I just wanted you to know, I ran away because I was being selfish, not because I was mad at you, I was just running away from my life, just like I always do, and I didn't care who I hurt. I almost ran away again today, but Ayanami talked me out of it, she said she'd protect me from dying, so that means I have to protect everyone else to keep that from happening! Thank you for taking me back Misato, and I promise I'll make you proud Misato. I won't run away ever again."

Everyone stood in stunned silence at Shinji's speech.

"Shinji…" Misato said. "That a very grown up thing to say…"

"The drill has penetrated the Geofront!" Hyuga reported. "Barrel cooled… exchanging fuses… capacitors at 89%… 30 seconds till we can fire… all fire controls have been transferred to the pilot!"

"Power levels spiking again, ma'am!" Maya shouted. "It's going to fire!"

From inside the Entry Plug, Shinji could see the five–pointed star again as he was aiming, and then Ramiel's Core glinted bright purple.

"Fuck…" Shinji said as he was lining up the shot. "Come one, 25 more seconds…"

Another high–pitched whine, and another blast shot towards the base, right at Shinji. Instead of impacting however, it was intercepted and deflected by the impeccable timing of Rei.

Shinji opened his eyes to see Unit–00 in front of him and the Positron Rifle. "Ayanami!"

" _Ikari, is everything you said true?_ " Rei asked over the comm.

"Yes, it is." Shinji replied. "Hold on Ayanami!"

" _Then you protect everyone else, while I do my job and protect you._ " Rei said.

The shield disintegrated after only 12 seconds of sustained fire from Ramiel, and instead of getting out of the way, Rei stood with Unit–00's arms out and took the beam directly from Ramiel, saving Shinji from certain death, and putting her life in danger from 18 seconds of exposure till Shinji could fire.

"AYANAMI!" Shinji screamed. "Come on! Charge already you piece of shit!"

Shinji continued to line up the shot, and was doing his best to do it through the beam's intense light and heat. Shinji locked onto the Core manually, and the indicator flashed saying the capacitors were charged.

"Yippie–Ki–Yay, Motherfucker!" Shinji shouted as he pulled the trigger.

The dischargers behind Unit–01 flashed again, and Positron Rifle fired a bright green burst of energy though Ramiel's bright purple beam, dissipating it. The shot traveled right at Ramiel's exposed Core and hit dead center, blowing right through it and its S2 Engine. Ramiel burst once more into the massive starburst shape and sprayed blood everywhere, leaking from every spindle and point on the starburst. He began to sink slowly to the ground, and then, with a high–pitched scream, collapsed into a pile of blood, leaving a massive bloodstain behind.

"He did it!" Misato shouted. "Shinji, you did it!"

Ramiel was dead.

–––

Gendo was watching the battle unfolding in front of him, as Shinji prepared his second shot, and Rei jumped in to save him from Ramiel, the phone rang.

Brrring… brrring… brrring…

Gendo answered the phone. "I am a stranger traveling from the East, seeking that which is lost…"

" _I am a stranger traveling from the West, it is I whom you seek._ " A voice replied on the line.

"Is this a secure line?" Gendo asked.

" _Of course, sir._ " The voice replied.

"What news, Kaji." Gendo asked, smirking as the battle progressed in front of him.

" _Sir, I have what it is you wanted me to procure._ " Kaji said cryptically over the phone.

"Were there complications with its acquisition?" Gendo asked.

" _Not really, almost got pinched, but that guy didn't live to tell about it._ " Kaji replied.

"Where are you now?" Gendo asked.

" _Approaching the extraction._ " Kaji replied happily. " _Exactly as planned. I'll be out of herein a few hours._ "

"Good…" Gendo said. "Do you have a backup plan in case of any… interference?"

" _If you mean Angelic interference, then yes I have a fighter ready to get the moment things get busy._ " " _I think the Second child can handle herself._ "

"She is untested in battle, as good as her sync scores are, she could freeze out there." Gendo replied coldly as Ramiel showered blood everywhere after being sniped by Shinji. "He just killed his third Angel, so I will send you a backup pilot once you leave Sasebo."

" _Alright, sir._ " Kaji said. " _Whatever you say._ "

"Just keep the item safe until you arrive." Gendo said hanging up the phone.

"Was that your… agent?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Quite." Gendo smirked. "He has retrieved what I need for my plans to move forward."

–––

"AYANAMI!" Shinji screamed.

Shinji threw the rifle aside and ran to Unit–00. He picked up its limp form and tried to get the Entry Pug cover off. He couldn't, so he deployed his Prog Knife.

"Hold on Ayanami!" Shinji shouted. "Just hold on!" Shinji hit the comm. "Misato, send help, now!"

Shinji stabbed at the back of Unit–00, and pried the cover off after several hard hits to the armor. The second the hatch popped open, the Entry Plug popped out, spraying out its LCL through the emergency vents. Shinji gently removed the Entry Plug, and placed it on the ground, exposing the emergency hatch.

Shinji shut down Unit014 and ejected his own Entry Plug, and slid down the ladder and ran to Rei's Entry Plug, and to the emergency hatch. Shinji grabbed the butterfly handles, and grasped them. He could feel the heat through is gloves, but didn't care, eh grinned and bared it as he ripped the handles back and began to struggle to turn them. "AYANAMI, HOLD ON!" Shinji shouted through the hatch. After some effort, Shinji finally forced the latch counter–clockwise to open it, and was able to spin the handles the 180° to do so. Once they reached the open position, the hatch hissed releasing a cloud of steam and finally allowed Shinji inside.

Rei was slumped over, unconscious in her seat. "AYANAMI!" Shinji screamed. "AYANAMI, ARE YOU ALRIGHT! ANSWER ME, AYANAMI!"

Shinji didn't see any injured on Rei, but she wasn't moving. Shinji moved into the Entry Plug, and shook her gently. "Ayanami, please wake up!" Shinji pleaded.

A pair of twisted and cracked glasses slid from her hand as she groaned and stirred and looked up weakly, her crimson eyes meeting his cobalt. All Rei could see was a fuzzy shadow. 'Commander Ikari…' Rei thought.

"Ayanami?!" Shinji exclaimed. "You're ok!"

"…Ikari." Rei said. "It's… you…"

"You're alive, I'm so glad you're alive!" Shinji said, as tears spilled down his cheeks.

Rei gave him a puzzled look. "You are crying again, like yesterday in the hospital while you were sleeping." Rei stared at him. "Why are you crying? Why are you… sad?"

"Dummy… that not it at all." Shinji said. "I'm crying because I'm happy you're alive."

Rei gave Shinji a puzzled look. "…because you are happy?" Rei looked over at Shinji's tears falling. "So you cry when you are happy, and when you are sad." Rei's face stood emotionless. "I am sorry… I am unsure what expression I should make… at a time like this. Even though I should be happy…"

Shinji looked at the sorrow on Rei's face. "Well, if you're happy… you should smile." Rei looked at him as he reached out his hand. "Can you stand?"

Rei took his hand and nodded. With a little effort got up. As she was standing up, she gave Shinji the kindest and cutest looking smile ever. Shinji looked stunned, and Rei gave him a confused look.

'She has a beautiful smile.' Shinji thought.

'Why is he blushing?' Rei wondered. "Ikari… is something the matter?"

"Huh… oh nothing…" Shinji stammered. "Here, put your arm around me, I'll help you out of here."

The pair exited the Entry Plug without a problem, and Shinji supported Rei as they walked away from the Entry Plug. He walked slowly, as Rei was having trouble moving fast.

"Ayanami…" Shinji said. "You should stop saying goodbye before a mission starts. It sounds too sad, like you plan on dying."

Rei looked over at Shinji with a forlorn look. "But, Ikari, I am…"

"Alive." Shinji interrupted. "That's all that matters. We might only have the EVA program right now, but we also have each other, and I'd be happy to be your friend, Ayanami. We can survive this together."

Rei smiled again. "I'd… like… to be your friend Ikari." Rei said happily.

"Good, so would it be inappropriate to call you… Rei?" Shinji asked nervously. "I don't mind calling you Ayanami… it's just…"

"You call the Class Representative by her given name, do you not?" Rei asked. "And you two are friends, so logically by that thinking, it would be appropriate if I called you Shinji, and you called me Rei. Seeing as we are now friends."

"I'd like that… Rei." Shinji said smiling happily.

"I fell happy as well… Shinji." Rei replied as the emergency teams lead by Misato found the pair and came to see if they were alright.

Rei was taken on a stretcher to an awaiting VTOL, which had landed nearby to transport the two of them and Misato back to NERV HQ for medical treatment.

While they were riding back to base, Shinji held Rei's hand. "Everything will be ok from now on, Rei." Shinji said. "I promise."

"I believe you, Shinji." Rei said weakly. "I have faith you'll keep your word."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 46.5% (+2.6%)  
Asuka – 38.0% (+0.2%)  
Rei – 24.8% (+9.7%)  
Mari – N/A

So, this chapter is based on Episodes 5 and 6 of the anime, if you couldn't already tell. Also based heavily on the third manga volume and final act of 1.11 as well. I really tried to use all the material I had, as this is one of my favorite battles.

Firstly, as to Rei's many mixed emotions, she's never really felt them (or Rei II hasn't) thanks to Dr. Akagi and the Medications Rei's on. This inhibit her emotions, and keep her A.T. Field intact. However, around Shinji, she feels different. This is the copied piece of Yui's soul reaction to her son, and its overriding the medication that suppressed Rei's emotions leaving her confused. Just to note, this is not a Shinji/Rei fic. Not my cup of anything, as it's a personal choice, she's just experiencing emotions, and will eventually come to embrace them, but not yet.

So, that was the battle with Ramiel. I decided on the shape shifting Ramiel, as that bit of Rebuild was really awesome, cause you could see how fucked you were when he stared spinning. Now, I used Google Earth, and looked at the stills of Misato and Ritsuko looking out towards Ramiel to find an appropriate sniping location based on the range they were shooting, and the geography around the EVA sniping nest. Yes, I do go all out to make things as realistic as possible.

Not many changes to this segment of the story, Shinji still sees Rei nude, falls on her, gets slapped for bad mouthing his father, and he ends up saving her. Some things change, and some things stay the same.

Now, in regards to the close dates of the Shamshel and Ramiel attacks, Shamshel on August 6, and Ramiel on August 9, they happen to coincide with the dates of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively. Why did I use these dates? Well, I always assumed that Shamshel and Ramiel attacked within days of each other, and in addition to that, 2015 marked the 70th anniversary of those bombings, and I would have been remiss (at least in my mind) to not set all this up in my timeline.

As for why Unit–00 suffers more severe damage than Unit–01 does, even though the exposure to Ramiel's beam differed. Ramiel used an even more powerful beam on Rei and the shield, which caused it to melt. Also in effect was the fact Rei's A.T. Field is weaker than Shinji's. An EVA's A.T. Field strength is directly proportional to sync score. As Shinji's was higher, his field was stronger, where Rei's was far less effective than his. A.T. Fields would also be exponential in output on some sliding scale or another, of which would require lots and lots of algebra and calculus to understand, and ain't no one got time for that.

Ok, so the code–in line Gendo uses is a quote from " _The Mummy Returns_ " and fits quite well, considering Kaji is traveling from the West, and Gendo is from the East. I do love me some great world play.

So… that was the first half of this story, and now, coming up in the next three chapters, Mari arrives and Asuka gets to town, and then everyone meets to spectacular results!

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	7. Shinji Ikari's Day Off

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode IV: The Last Hope

* * *

Chapter 7 – Shinji Ikari's Day Off  
August 20, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Shinji had just woken up. It was a bright and sunny day out, and probably hot too. Shinji pulled out his clothes for school, and wandered towards the shower with his towel. He washed up quickly and then got dressed. He went to the kitchen, to an awaiting Pen–Pen, and prepared the hungry bird's breakfast, four fish in a bowl, and a ginger ale with a straw. Shinji made his own breakfast of tea, toast with white bread, scrambled eggs and bacon. He made enough for two, and while the eggs were cooking, made a bento for himself.

He set down the bowl, and grabbed his toast as it popped, leaving a set in the toaster for when Misato decided to get up and grace Shinji and Pen–Pen with her presence.

Shinji and Pen–Pen began eating in unison, munching on their respective breakfasts, as Misato's door slid open, revealing a very tired looking Misato. Her hair was extremely messy, and dark circles under her eyes. She yawned loudly and stretched in the door way. She was only wearing a tight tube tip and boy's boxer briefs.

"Good morning…" Shinji said while he rolled his eyes.

"Morning…" Misato muttered as she plodded to the kitchen and pulled open the fridge. She grabbed a beer and her plat and sat down, popping the beer expertly with one hand, and chugging it down. "WHOOO YEAH! That's some good stuff!" Misato shouted. "What a great way to start off the day."

"Why not just have coffee or tea like a normal person." Shinji said sarcastically.

"You got a problem with tradition?" Misato asked.

"When it borders on alcoholism, yes, I do." Shinji said bluntly. "It's not healthy to drink so much Misato."

"Yeah, yeah, would you tell your ancestors that?" Misato asked curtly.

Shinji was quite bewildered. "I'm not sure what you mean…"

"Don't you know that the traditional Japanese breakfast is steamed rice, miso soup and some sake?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, but the sake was back when they didn't have water purifiers and got their water from where fish had shit in it, ya know, from a river." Shinji retorted. "And I think beer is more of an insult to sake."

"What do you know, you don't drink!" Misato said angrily.

"Yeah, well, I have to smell all those empty bottles and cans when I clean up, and sake doesn't smell that bad, or rally at all." Shinji said. "And I don't drink because I'm a minor, Misato, why do I have to keep reminding my _guardian_ I'm underage.

"What did you say?" Misato said, a vein in her temple popping sickeningly.

"And incidentally, wasn't it some deep purple haired woman's turn to cook this morning?" Shinji asked. "And she somehow conveniently slept in, unlike the days she doesn't cook, and is waiting at the table, utensils in hand?"

"Errr…" Misato mumbled. "I was… at work late."

"That's always your excuse." Shinji said. "And now I know why a woman at your _old age_ is still _single_ …" Shinji took a sip of tea. "You're going to be an old maid, Misato."

"Are you saying that I'm lazy?" Misato growled, slightly crushing her beer can.

Shinji took another sip of tea. "And sloppy too."

"Oh, just leave me alone…" Misato said angrily.

"Well, I'm all done." Shinji said as he grabbed his apron and started the dishes. As he was washing, Misato turned to face his back while she munched on some toast like a child.

"So, Misato are you really coming to my school today?" Shinji asked.

"Of course, it's your parent/teacher day, Shinji!" Misato said excitedly. "I wouldn't want to miss that!"

"But you're just so busy with work." Shinji said. 'Please don't come in today… please don't come in today…' Shinji thought.

"Oh that's not a problem, I always have time for my Shinji–kun!" Misato said coming up behind Shinji and sneak hugging him.

"WAHH!" Shinji shouted. "Misato, I thought we discussed not doing that anymore."

"Why, are you too old for a hug?" Misato teased.

"No, I just don't like being scared like that." Shinji said. "So how do you make time at work for me?"

"I just say you're part of my job, silly." Misato said.

"Oh, just a part of your job, huh?" Shinji mumbled.

'Ah, shit…' Misato thought. "You know I don't mean that, you mean a lot more to me than just a part of my job, I thought we went over this?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, but I like busting your balls…" Shinji said.

"You know women don't have those right, or do I need to show you?" Misato teased.

"Ha–ha, Misato." Shinji said. "I'm aware of the female anatomy, bust saying "busting your ovaries" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue."

**_♪DING DONG♪_ **

"Oh, your friends are here!" Misato said. "Finish up and go get your things, I'll get the door."

"Yeah… always stick mw with the work…" Shinji mumbled. "Misato, should you go outside like that?" Shinji asked. "Isn't it a little… embarrassing?"

Misato folded her arms and lifted her breasts up with a wide smile. "I know!"

"Good morning Shinji." Toji and Kensuke said in unison, their eyes widening lustfully when they saw Misato. "Good morning Miss Misato!"

"Good morning boys, and good morning Hikari!" Misato said. "He's just finishing up. You guys wanna come in?"

"Sure…" Kensuke and Toji replied, but were yanked back by Hikari.

"No, we'll wait out here." Hikari said politely. "We don't want to impose."

"Come on Shinji, your friends are awaiting!" Misato shouted.

"Yeah, hurry up when the adult sticks the kid with cooking and cleaning before school." Shinji said to himself. "And then _she_ tells _me_ to hurry up." Shinji walked to the front door. "I'm ready!" Shinji said happily. Morning Toji! Morning Kensuke!"

"Alright, let's get going, we don't want to be late." Hikari said, tugging Kensuke and Toji a bit. "Good morning Shinji!"

"Morning Hikari!" Shinji said as he went out the door. "Bye Misato!"

"Bye Miss Misato, we're leaving now." Toji and Kensuke said in unison.

"Oh, I'll see you guys later at school, its parent teacher day, remember?" Misato said. "Bye bye now!" Misato said as she closed the door.

Hikari stared at Shinji for a moment and then the four of them walked off to school.

"Man, isn't Misato a total babe?" Toji asked.

"Yeah, she's smokin' hot!" Kensuke replied.

"Yeah, you guys don't have to live with her…" Shinji muttered.

"WHAT!" The two boys exclaimed as they took the stairs down.

"You're such a kid Shinji." Toji said. "Most guys would give up their left nut to be in your position."

"I'm literally right here, Toji." Hikari said.

"Oh, sorry, Hikari… I keep forgetting to not say shit like that around you."

"Well, at you're trying… kind of." Hikari said.

As the four walked down the street Hikari asked a question. "Shinji, was she serious about coming into school today?"

"Yeah, she says it's her duty as my guardian, and that she wants to make time for me." Shinji replied glumly.

"Oh, I thought your father might…" Hikari said.

"No, he's busy…" Shinji said. "Doing something… I'm not even sure what he does besides being in charge. He just tells other people what to do, and disappears for days at a time."

"Well, he does have an important job." Kensuke said. "He runs all of NERV, not just the HQ here, but the other sixteen branches around the world as well."

Toji whistled. "Wow, he sounds important…"

"He's still an ass." Shinji said.

"Shinji…" Hikari just stared at him. "Why would you say that?"

"Well, after my mom died, he sent me away." Shinji explained. "I lived in Atsugi for fourteen years with an associate of someone my mother knew, he used work at a university. He took care of me, and my father paid him well, then one day I got called back here. I thought it was to be with him again as a family, but he… just needed me to pilot."

Kensuke didn't have anything to say, he just gave Shinji a sad look.

"Wow…" Toji muttered. "He is an ass."

"Shinji…" Hikari gave Shinji a hug. "I didn't know."

Shinji returned the hug. "Well, it's not exactly a happy subject, is it?" Shinji smiled. "Its fine guys, I'm mostly over it, I know he's an ass." Hikari Let go of Shinji. "What about your families?" Shinji asked.

"All I have is my dad." Kensuke said. "My mom died a while ago too, but I rarely ever see my father… he works in the science division at NERV, under some she–devil, according to him anyway."

"Dr. Akagi." Shinji said. "Sounds pretty accurate. She treats me ok, but everyone else, even Rei… she's not the nicest person, kinda blunt and direct."

"Well, besides my sister, who still wants to meet you by the way, I have my pop, and grandfather, both work at NERV." Toji explained. "My mom's dead too, some accident or whatever. So I mostly go to the hospital or stay home alone, unless one of them has time off."

"What about you Hikari?" Shinji asked. "Don't tell me your mom is dead too."

"She is…" Hikari said sadly. "Complications from a fourth pregnancy my dad told me."

"Oh, Hikari, I didn't mean…" Shinji started.

"I know, it's kinda odd… all of our mothers are dead, everyone in the class." Hikari said. "Unless Rei…"

"Nope, she's an orphan as far as I know." Shinji replied.

"Well, it's me and my younger sister, Nozomi, my older sister, Kodama, and my father." Hikari said. "I cook, and they eat, I clean, they make a mess. Kind of like you and Misato, right?"

"Yeah, exactly like Misato and me." Shinji replied. 'Why is everyone's mother dead? That's kinda odd, and seems almost statistically impossible…' Shinji thought.

"Well, anyway, we need to hurry up, we can't be late." Hikari said as she quickened her pace into a slow jog.

"Yeah, Hikari." Toji said as the rest of them followed suit. " _You_ can't be late, _we_ can."

–––

The group of four arrived at school 10 minutes before the bell.

"Ah, plenty of time." Hikari said happily.

"Told ya we didn't have to rush." Toji muttered.

"I can't be late, I'm the class rep!" Hikari said.

"Yeah, well, now I'm hungry for running." Kensuke grumbled.

"Oh, relax guys." Shinji said. "What's a little running?"

"Whatever, Shinji." Toji said as they got to their shoe lockers. "Hey, you doing anything this afternoon?"

"Yeah, Rei and I have to go to NERV HQ for a sync test." Shinji said. "Just part of the job, but after that, I'll probably be free."

"Damn those sync tests are annoying…" Toji said.

"Well, instead of wasting time, you can always do your homework, Toji!" Hikari said.

"Yeah, why have fun when I can do work instead. Makes total sense." Toji said.

"Oh, be quiet." Hikari said. "I'll see you guys upstairs." Hikari said as she walked away.

"Hey, Shinji, we'll see you up there, we need snacks!" Kensuke said as he and Toji walked away as well.

Shinji went up to the class alone, and saw that only Rei and Hikari were there. Rei was sitting and looking out the window as usual. Shinji walked over to her.

"Good morning Rei." Shinji said to his crimson eyed classmate.

"Good morning, Ikari… I mean… Shinji." Rei flubbed.

"It's ok, Rei." Shinji said kindly. "Old habits are hard to break."

"Yes, they are quite bothersome." Rei said. "I believe I am supposed to ask how you are doing, correct?" Rei asked.

"You don't have to, Rei." Shinji said. "But I'm doing well this morning, thank you for asking." Shinji smiled. "How are you today?"

"I am… the same as usual." Rei said. "I'm not sure what… good feels like."

"Well, I'm not really sure how to explain it." Shinji said. "I guess it's just a feeling you have when you're having a good start to the day."

"Oh… well… that sounds… intriguing." Rei said. "Then I am feeling "good" as you say. I got to the school 10 minutes earlier than usual."

"See, that's something!" Shinji said.

"Yes, I am quite proud of my achievement." Rei replied, smiling slightly. "I saw you walked in with Horaki, Suzuhara, and Aida, correct?"

"Yeah, just like every morning." Shinji said. "At least since we killed the last Angel."

"As I have told you before, Shinji, you killed the Angel, I did not." Rei said.

"And like I always tell you, if you hadn't jumped in front of that beam, I'd have been done for, so like it or not, you were a cause of that's Angel's death. Misato agrees with me." Shinji fibbed.

"Captain Katsuragi agrees with you?" Rei asked.

"Yes, she thinks I'm right, and you wouldn't want to her disobey orders would you?" Shinji asked.

"No, that is not the kind of person I am." Rei replied.

"Good." Shinji said smiling broadly. "So, would you like to join us for lunch?" Shinji asked.

"Join… you?" Rei said, blushing slightly.

"Yeah, me, Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke." Shinji said. "I know you generally don't eat, but I can share with you if you'd like?"

"It will not be a problem, I can follow Suzuhara to the lunch room and find something to eat there." Rei said.

"Great…" Shinji started, but he was cut off.

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

"I guess that's our cue then." Shinji said. "See you at lunch, Rei!"

Hikari stood up as Nebukawa no Sensei walked in and addressed the class as usual in her sternest and most authoritative voice. "Rise… Bow… Sit!"

–––

Gendo was sitting in his office, staring out his window when the phone rang.

Brrring… brrring… brrring…

"This is Ikari." Gendo said.

" _Well, glad to see you're still in._ " A male voice said.

"Ah, Agent Yamada." Gendo said happily. "Did you deliver the documents?"

" _Of course, sir._ " Yamada replied. " _Is the line secure sir?_ "

"When is it not?" Gendo asked.

" _Whenever you want someone to overhear something._ " Yamada replied. " _Now that that's out of the way, sir, the falsified and redacted reports were delivered, as was the digital store file on the corrupted Angel data. He plugged it right into one of that thing's terminals and downloaded the files right into its control console._ "

"Excellent." Gendo said. "I received the data you sent to me, it really doesn't look that impressive to be honest, almost like a retarded and deformed robot."

" _Yes, up close it doesn't look any better, and from its specifications, it's just a walking punching machine, no ranged weapons to speak of._ "

"How ineffective." Gendo smirked. "Did he ask about the redactions?"

" _Of course, sir. He's a sniveling little weasel, and I told him the freedom of information request gets you the data, not the classified information._ " Yamada said. " _The little shit wasn't happy, made my day too._ "

"Excellent work, Yamada." Gendo replied.

" _Thank you sir._ " Yamada replied. " _Are there any other assignments for me?_ "

"Yes, there are several… problematic people that need to be dealt with." Gendo said. "The information has been left at drop point seven."

" _Excellent, sir. I'll get back to work immediately._ " Yamada said. " _Are there any special instructions, sir?_ "

"Just like always, make it look like an accident." Gendo said. "I don't want SEELE getting wise to my plans."

" _Very well, sir._ " Yamada said. " _Until next time._ "

CLICK

Gendo hung up the phone the laughed. "Good, now I don't have to worry about that interfering with our funding." Gendo activated his monitors of the Cage. "Well, you're supposed to be the only Angel fighting weapons out there, we can't have any interference from SEELE spreading their money around too much."

–––

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

As Toji and Kensuke ran to get lunch when the bell rang, Hikari and Shinji unpacked their bentos quietly. Rei also went down to the lunch room to get something, leaving just the two of them alone in the classroom.

"Hey… Shinji, why did you share all that this morning?" Hikari asked.

"I just felt comfortable explaining it." Shinji said. "I thought friends were supposed to share stuff like that."

"They are, it's just… its usually happy things." Hikari said.

"Hikari, I don't want to ruin your world view, but it's not a happy place out there." Shinji said. "It's got literal death monsters that I fight with a monster of my own."

"I know." Hikari said. "I just like seeing the god in things."

"I know, I'm sorry if I was being an ass." Shinji said. "Some habits die hard."

"Not at all, Shinji, you have a lot of bad stuff happen to you in your life." Hikari said. "But that won't stop me from trying to make you see things better."

"Thanks Hikari…" Shinji replied, blushing.

Toji came back to the classroom with an armful of food from the vending machines in the lunch room. Kensuke was close behind him, with his mouth full of a plain sweet roll.

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" Toji said loudly.

"What?" Shinji exclaimed.

"Jealous of me talking to Shinji, Toji?" Hikari teased. "I'd almost think you like me the way you act when we talk."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about!" Toji said defiantly. "I just don't like secret conversations is all…"

"Oh, you missed a good one." Hikari said. "It was about Misato."

"AWWW, MAN!" Toji shouted. "Come on, Shinji, you're supposed to tell the guys about all the sexy things Misato does!"

Shinji decided to play along. "Now, it was about how she always leaves a huge mess of clothes, and belches all the time." Shinji smirked. She's not very lady like at all."

"Shinji, how can you say that about a beautiful angel like Misato?!" Toji said admonishingly.

"Well, I've dealt with three Angels so far, and Misato isn't one." Shinji said as Hikari giggled uncontrollably next to him.

"NOT THAT KINDA ANGEL, DUMBASS!" Toji shouted.

At this point, Shinji started laughing with Hikari as Toji raged on. Rei walked back in and looked around in a confused manner.

"Ikari… uh… Shinji…" Rei said. "What is so funny?"

Shinji took a deep breath. "Oh, it's just Toji being funny as usual." Shinji replied.

"Oh… his acting like a fool is normal?" Rei said. "I thought that would be considered abnormal behavior?"

Shinji, Hikari, and Kensuke all broke down laughing, and Toji went slack jawed.

"Ayanami's making fun of me now?" Toji exclaimed. "Come on!"

"Did I say something inappropriate?" Rei asked innocently. "I did not mean to offend anyone."

Shinji did his best to stop laughing. "Rei, you didn't say anything wrong. What you said was funny and it made us laugh." Shinji explained.

"I did not intend to be funny…" Rei said.

"Well, it's hard to explain…" Shinji scratched his head. "What you said was funny, because it pointed out how ridiculous Toji was acting."

"HEY!" Toji shouted. "That's mean, Shinji!"

"I understand." Rei said. "Speech in context to a conversation can sometimes be found humorous." Rei sat down next to Shinji as they clustered two desks together to eat.

Shinji smiled. "Exactly."

Rei smiled back. "I'm glad I can be humorous."

"I liked her more when she didn't talk…" Toji grumbled.

"Oh, be nice Toji." Hikari said.

"Come, on let's eat." Shinji said as he heard an engine roar outside. "Awww shit…"

"Is that…" Kensuke said loudly.

"Misato?!" Toji exclaimed happily.

They both ran to the window, along with all the other boys in the school.

"It is her!" Toji shouted.

The blue Alpine drifted into an empty parking space, and out stepped Misato while the male population of the school looked on.

"Is that really Ikari's guardian?" Someone asked.

"Yeah, she is…" Kensuke replied.

"Wow, Ikari is a lucky guy!" Someone said

"Yeah, Shinji is one lucky bastard." Toji said happily as he kissed the air and clasped his hand together. "I wish Misato was my girlfriend!"

"Boys are such idiots." Hikari said.

"Hey! Don't lump me in with them." Shinji said. "I have to live with her, and I don't act like this."

"Sorry, Shinji, you know what I mean. Hikari said. "All those boys are idiots."

"I do not understand why they are fawning over Captain Katsuragi." Rei asked.

"They find her extremely attractive." Hikari said.

"And they want to do unspeakable things to her." Shinji added.

"Shinji!" Hikari exclaimed. "You don't think…"

"Hikari, look at them, if they had the balls, they'd actually ask her."

"You're probably right…" Hikari sad sadly. 'I wonder what would make Toji think those things about me… What do I have to do to be noticed by him?' Hikari thought sadly.

Shinji saw Hikari's sad look. "Hikari, are you ok?"

"Yeah…" Hikari replied, looking over at Toji. "It's nothing…"

"Shinji…" Rei said, breaking the tension. "What are unspeakable things?"

"Huh?" Shinji replied. "It's… uh… well… sex basically."

"Do you mean coitus?" Rei asked.

"Huh?" Hikari said.

"Coitus." Rei repeated. "The act of intercourse between two people."

"Yeah…" Shinji said. "That's a word?"

"Yes." Rei said. "It comes from Latin I believe."

"Rei, you know what sex is?" Hikari asked.

"Yes, I've read about it in biology and anatomy books." Rei replied. "I have also seen a male naked before as well."

Shinji blushed deep red.

"Oh, who was it?" Hikari asked.

"It was Shinji." Rei said. "He has also seen me nude."

Hikari almost fell over. "Shinji!" Hikari said. "What did you do?"

"Nothing… it was an… an accident!" Shinji stammered. "I didn't mean to… it just happened… I'm not a perv…"

"Then how did she see you naked?" Hikari whispered.

"They were separate incidents, Horaki–san." Rei said. "Shinji came over to drop something off or Captain Katsuragi, and saw me come out of the shower by mistake, he tripped and fell on top of me and was extremely apologetic. I saw him naked at the hospital after his initial fight with the Fifth Angel. He ran out of bed to apologize to me and did not realize he was unclothed. He was extremely embarrassed again, even though I told him he had nothing to be embarrassed about."

Hikari sat there in shock. "And… you're ok with this, Rei?" Hikari asked.

"Yes, I am in my natural state most of the time when I am at home alone." Rei replied.

"Oh…" Hikari mumbled. 'Wow… Rei is odd, she's not even embarrassed. How would I act if anyone saw me like that?'

"Hikari would you mind not repeating that to anyone?" Shinji asked quietly.

"Yeah, I won't say anything, don't worry." Hikari said.

"I will also not repeat it, Shinji." Rei said. "Seeing as you are embarrassed again, I will not mention it to anyone else."

"Thank you, Rei." Shinji said. "I appreciate it."

"But if I may inquire, did you not find me attractive?" Rei asked innocently. "Do not most males brag about seeing nude females?"

"Most boys do, but Shinji is a gentleman and respects women." Hikari said. "And a gentleman also answers when a girl asks if she is pretty."

"I… uhh… well… yes I did, but I was… um… I'm sorry Rei." Shinji stammered. "You looked quite nice…"

"Thank you, Shinji." Rei said.

"Yeah, no problem." Shinji muttered as Misato walked into the room.

"Shinji!" Misato said happily. "Are you glad to see me?"

"Not really…" Shinji muttered.

"I'll be here the rest of the day, then after school, I'll drive you and Rei to NERV for your sync tests. How does that sound?" Misato asked.

"Just ducky…" Shinji said. "Misato, you realize you're like the only parent here."

"In your class maybe, but there were a bunch of parents looking for the right classrooms." Misato replied. "Just relax, you won't even notice I'm here."

"I won't, but everyone else will…" Shinji muttered.

"Shinji, do you have extra food, I'm a little hungry." Misato asked.

"Yeah, I do Misato." Shinji said. "I know how forgetful you can be."

"Yay!" Misato exclaimed as Toji and Kensuke sat down. The rest of the boys in the class just stared at Misato, until Hikari barked at them to east lunch or starve. Then they were able to eat in peace and quiet until the bell rang.

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

"Miss Katsuragi, I need you to find a seat please." Hikari said politely.

"Oh, sure, Hikari." Misato said. "I don't want to cause any trouble."

Hikari stood up as Nebukawa no Sensei walked in again. "Rise… Bow… Sit!"

–––

Shinji and Rei were finishing up in the changing rooms and met each other in Ritsuko's office to go over their results. They sat there quietly waiting for Misato and Ritsuko to arrive.

"I had a very nice lunch today, Shinji." Rei said.

"Really?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, it was a very enjoyable experience." Rei said. "I hope we can do it again tomorrow."

Misato and Ritsuko came in just as Shinji was going to answer Rei.

"Of course." Shinji said.

"Of course what, Shinji?" Misato asked.

"That Rei can eat lunch with us again, nosy." Shinji said.

"Why you…" Misato started.

"Enough you two." Ritsuko said. "Anyway, both of your results came back on the plus side."

"So that three hours of sitting there paid off?" Shinji asked.

Ritsuko sighed. "Yes, Shinji it did." Ritsuko looked at her clipboard. "Shinji, your sync score went up 0.7% to 47.2% overall, so not bad, you're still improving, even if it small increments, so keep up the good work."

Shinji smiled. "Thank you Dr. Akagi."

Ritsuko flipped to another page. "Rei on the other hand had a 4.5% increase in her score to 29.3%, very impressive Rei, you seem to be working very hard. Keep doing whatever you're doing, alright?"

"Understood, Dr. Akagi." Rei said.

"So, you two are done for the day, so you can head on home. Rei, I need you to come back in the morning for some early tests, alright?" Misato said happily.

Rei's face fell. "Yes, Dr. Akagi."

"Cool, let's get out of here!" Misato said.

"Not so fast, Misato." Ritsuko said. "I need to talk to you, privately."

"Awww, man!" Misato exclaimed. She dug her car keys out of her pocket. "Hey, Shinji, wait for me in the car, ok? And Rei, if you want a ride home, feel free to hop in the back, alright?"

"Alright." Rei said sheepishly.

"See you shortly I guess." Shinji said as he Rei walked off. "So Rei, I'm guessing you don't want to risk another drive with her?"

"Correct." Rei said. "It was quite the harrowing experience."

Shinji chuckled. "Yeah, she drives like a maniac. I guess that's just her thing."

"Then I will see you at school tomorrow, Shinji." Rei said as she took the escalator up while Shinji broke off for the parking garage.

Meanwhile Ritsuko and Misato were talking.

"I've been what?" Misato shouted.

"Promoted." Ritsuko replied. "To Major. You are also no longer on probation, you've become the official Tactical Division Director."

"Why exactly have I been promoted?" Misato asked. "I haven't exactly been successful without lots of collateral damage, and it's only been a month."

"A month seeing three separate Angel attacks defeated in quick succession." Ritsuko explained. "Your plan against the Fifth Angel proved your worth to the Commander. All that out of the box thinking really sold him on the idea of you being permanently here in this position. The Third and Fourth Angels, where Shinji did not follow your plan of attack, you ended up convincing him to stay and fight somehow. All that has gotten you promoted, Misato."

"Shinji's relationship with his friends made him stick around, not me." Misato said. "All I did was point out that he nice stable relationships he shouldn't give up on."

"Exactly, you got him to see the truth." Ritsuko said. "You made him realize he belongs here with his friends, piloting the EVA to protect them."

"That's all well and good." Misato said. "But why couldn't the Commander tell me himself? You know, in person and all that."

"He and the Sub–Commander are dealing with shipping an EVA to our facility from the United Kingdom." Ritsuko explained. "Apparently its original pilot is feeling much better, and she will be arriving tomorrow. I just found out this morning when they left to deal with it personally."

"So some new girl is coming to town with another Unit? Unit–05 hasn't really been started yet, has it?" Misato asked.

"Yes, she's been enrolled in Shinji and Rei's class, and she'll meet them both tomorrow. She's been instructed to only reveal her identity to Shinji and Rei if she finds the time to. We aren't supposed to tell them, seeing as so much has already been leaked to that class as it is." Ritsuko explained. "As for the new Unit, it's actually an even older project. One from a pre–Evangelion project, under NERV's Project E, codenamed Project Alcion. That's where I was posted for a while before I came back to Japan, it was named, _Evangelion Mark 0, Unit–XP_ , whereas our own Evangelion series under Project E is called the _Evangelion Mark I_ , starting with Unit–00 through the projected Unit–12."

"Jeez, talk about overkill…" Misato said.

"Be that as it may, you will have four pilots under your command in the next week or so." Ritsuko said.

"That's right, Asuka will be in town next week!" Misato facepalmed herself. "I completely forgot about her!"

"Anyway, along with your promotion, you also get some additional responsibilities." Ritsuko said.

"Like what?" Misato asked in a worried voice.

"I need you to accompany me to a conference tomorrow, Sub–Commander Fuyutsuki should be back this evening, so someone will be in charge here is anything were to happen." Ritsuko explained.

"What about the new pilot?" Misato asked. "What about the Fourth Child?"

"Not the Fourth Child." Ritsuko said. "She has been designated the Proto Child by the Marduk Institute, as her selection predates Rei's. But she was ill for some time, and has now been cleared for duty with her EVA. SO she should be fine until we return the day after next."

"It's an overnight?" Misato asked. "What could be that important?"

"You'll find out when we get there, just bring your full uniform, and don't come drunk or hungover." Ritsuko said coyly.

"Yeah, whatever, Ritsuko." Misato said. "I'll see you in the morning, at what time?" Misato asked. "Please don't have me be here before 8:00a."

"Be here for 8:00a, please, or even a bit earlier." Ritsuko said. "We have a luxury VTOL to take to our destination."

"Hooray…" Misato said glumly. "Well, I'm gonna get going, I have to be up early now… bye Ritsuko."

"Bye Misato." Ritsuko teased. "See you bright eyed and bushy tallied tomorrow morning!"

"Whatever…" Misato grumbled.

* * *

August 21, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Shinji had just woken up. It was a bright and sunny day out, and probably hot too. Shinji pulled out his clothes for school, and wandered towards the shower with his towel. He washed up quickly and then got dressed. He went to the kitchen, to an awaiting Pen–Pen, and prepared the hungry bird's breakfast, five fish in a bowl, and a coca–cola with a straw. Shinji made his own breakfast of coffee, toast with rye bread, scrambled eggs and sausage. He made enough for two, and while the eggs were cooking, made a bento for himself.

He set down the bowl, and grabbed his toast as it popped, leaving a set in the toaster for when Misato decided to get up and grace Shinji and Pen–Pen with her presence.

However unlike usual when Misato got up, she was already dressed and showered. She was in her full NERV uniform, and not just her typical jacket over whatever she was wearing. She had a rolling suitcase behind her, and a large purse slung over her left shoulder.

Shinji was in such shock he stopped eating his toast, and Pen–Pen actually dropped the fish in his mouth to the floor.

"Good… good morning, Misato." Shinji stuttered.

"Good morning…" Misato said angrily.

"Why… why are you all dressed and ready to go?" Shinji asked.

"I got promoted yesterday, and now I have this stupid conference to go to with Ritsuko." Misato said unhappily.

"You got… promoted?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, I was promoted to Major for coming up with that insane plan to deal with the last Angel, and for keeping you around too." Misato replied. "So I'm no longer the Probationary Tactical Division Director, I am simply the Tactical Division Director now, and I'm stuck going to a stupid conference with Ritsuko now because I have _responsibilities_ , so I'll be back in a few days." Misato said as she left. "Don't have any wild parties or orgies while I'm gone! And don't drink all my beer now, Shinji!" Misato waived as she left. "See ya later!"

"Wow, what a change that was, wasn't is Pen–Pen." Shinji said in a stunned voice.

"Wark…" Pen–Pen squawked in agreement.

–––

Shinji walked to school today alone, as no one had showed up like usual. "I wonder where they went…" Shinji thought aloud. "Probably saw Misato leave and sulked off, the pervs. Oh, well, I'll see them in a little while, maybe Hikari will help me tease them a bit."

Shinji sighed as he continued along to school alone, not noticing he was being followed. The girl was tall, amply endowed, wearing a white blouse with a tie, and a plaid skirt. She also wore pink rimmed glasses over her brilliant, aqua colored eyes, and long brunette hair, tied up in twin–tails. It was Mari.

She had found him at the last intersection and began to follow him at a distance. She was staring at the back of his head as he walked unawares to the beautiful girl behind him. 'Oh, shit, it's him, it's really him, my godson, Yui's son…' Mari thought frantically. 'Shinji…'

Mari started to panic. 'Holy shit, what do you I say to him? How do I introduce myself, what the hell was I thinking trying to meet him like this, I'm just gonna screw it all up!' Mari thought. 'Oh, hell, this was a mistake…' Mari turned around and started to head the other way.

Mari took a deep breath and stood still. Shinji was walking away from her, so Mari decided to follow him to work up the courage to talk to him. 'Ok Mari, the professor said he was a nice kids and he looks totally harmless. All I have to do is go up to him and say hello, and just let it go from there, right?' Mari thought. 'I just can't run from this, I can't not meet him, then me coming here now means nothing.'

Mari quickened her pace before her resolve disintegrated again. 'Alright Mari, don't be afraid of him, just go up to him and introduce yourself.' Mari thought as she walked over to Shinji and began the new chapter of her life. "Hey there, do you go to Tokyo–3 First Municipal Junior High School?" Mari asked the bemused boy.

Shinji turned around assuming someone was talking to him as the street was otherwise deserted. "Uh, yes, yes I do…" Shinji replied, confused as to what was going on.

"Are you in class 2–A by chance?" Mari asked.

"Uh, yes I am." Shinji replied politely, still with a very confused look on his face.

'God, he's so adorable. I'm glad I did this now.' Mari thought. "I'm Mari, Mari Illustrious Makinami, I just moved here to Tokyo–3, and I'm in your class." Mari said happily. "Would you mind walking me to the school? I get lost easily."

"Su… sure." Shinji replied.

"So, what's your name?" Mari asked brightly. 'Don't be so shy, Shinji, you're cute, you should be more confident.' Mari thought.

"My name is Shinji Ikari." Shinji replied. "It's nice to meet you Makinami–san."

"Please, call me Mari." Mari said. "But, I get to call you Shinji."

"That sounds fair I guess." Shinji replied, smiling slightly. "It's nice to meet you, _Mari_."

"It's nice to meet you too, Shinji Ikari." Mari said with a big smile. 'Very nice indeed.' Mari thought to herself.

"Uh, Mari, why do you need help fining the school, exactly." Shinji asked.

"Because I get lost easily." Mari repeated. "Didn't you listen when I told you?"

"Yeah, I was just… curious." Shinji said sheepishly. 'Curious as to why such a pretty girl would talk to plain old, boring me…' Shinji thought.

"Curious about what?" Mari asked. "You don't have to be shy, Shinji. I don't bite… much." Saying this caused Shinji to blush profusely. 'Wow, he blushed at that comment, jeez he'll be easy to tease if he's that shy.' Mari thought. 'How adorable.'

"Ok…" Shinji said quietly. "Where did you transfer from exactly?" Shinji asked. "Your uniform is very… unique. And you seem a bit… older than me to be in my class."

"What makes you think I'm older Shinji?" Mari asked playfully. "Is it my bursting and jiggly bosom?"

"Uh… I mean that… you're just taller… um… I wasn't looking… I'm not a pervert…" Shinji stammered cutely.

"Aww, Shinji, they're out on display, its ok to look." Mari said happily. "Just to look though, if you want to touch, you have to ask politely for my permission."

"What?!" Shinji shouted. "I'm not… that's not… I'm sorry!"

Mari couldn't help but laugh. "Oh Shinji, you are adorable!" Mari wrapped her arm around Shinji as they walked. "You need to relax, ok?" Mari said sternly. "I was only teasing you, and you don't need to apologize for looking or thinking about my boobs either. It's only natural for people to look. It doesn't make you a pervert, just a human being with hormones." Mari caught a whiff of a familiar smell. 'LCL, my favorite smell in the world, and he reeks of it. I wanna tell him I'm a pilot, but how do I broach the subject? It would be a bit odd if I just blurted it out. '

"Ok…" Shinji muttered "If you say so…" Shinji looked at Mari with a sideways glance. 'She's so friendly, and I don't know why, but I feel safe being near her for some reason.'

"I do say so." Mari stuck out her tongue. "Now to answer your question, yes, I'm probably older than you, I'm 16 and should be in senior high school."

"Really?" Shinji asked. "But why are you in my class then?"

"Well, I transferred here from the United Kingdom, England to be precise." Mari explained. "I went to a private school there after I left Japan a long time ago. I've been sick for a while, Mono is a bitch by the way, so I missed a few years of school, and they held me back, but seeing as I didn't really want to stay in the U.K. anymore, and I had an opportunity to come back to Japan, I decided to take it."

"Why did you want to come back to Japan?" Shinji asked. "What would make you move all this way?"

'Great, now I can tell him.' Mari thought happily. "Well, its kinda top secret, but I guess I can tell you, cause you reek of LCL." Mari said.

"I… what?" Shinji asked. "How do you know about LCL?" Shinji asked.

'I know its creator, silly…' Mari thought. "I'm an EVA pilot, silly, just like I assume you are. I mean, I would know that smell anywhere, it's my favorite in the whole wide world." Mari said happily. "So, am I right? Are you an EVA pilot?"

"Yeah… you are…" Shinji said, stunned that she was another pilot. "Are you the Second Child?"

"Nope, I'm the Proto Child, pilot of Unit–XP." Mari said. "I've been with the program for a very long time, longer than I care to admit. But my Unit will be here eventually, so for now, I'm a backup pilot for you and whoever else is around here. Who else is here, anyway?"

"Well, it's me and my Unit–01, and Rei Ayanami, the First Child, and her Unit–00." Shinji explained. "But her EVA is still damaged from our last fight, so it's just me."

"That doesn't seem very fair." Mari said. "So you have to fight alone?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, until the Second Child arrives, I'm on call if another Angel comes to town." Shinji said glumly.

"And they make you go to school?" Mari asked.

"Well, yeah…" Shinji said, dumbfounded. "I have to get an education you know."

"It's overrated, trust me." Mari said.

"What?" Shinji asked, "What about college and everything with a career?"

"Meh…" Mari shrugged her shoulders. "Why don't we just ditch school?" Mari asked.

"But we're almost there…" Shinji said. "And my friend Hikari would be angry if I missed class, she's the class rep!"

"Oh, come on, Shinji." Mari pleaded. "I want to see the town, not be cooped up in a hot classroom all day."

"Mari, I can't just skip school." Shinji said defiantly.

"Come on… please?" Mari asked. "I'll make it worth your while."

"Mari, what are you suggesting?" Shinji said as he blushed.

"Nothing like that silly." Mari said smiling widely. "Just that I'll pay for everything, and I'll make sure you have fun, ok?"

"Well…" Shinji said. 'Do I really want to listen to the teacher drone on about life before Second Impact? I mean, we get it, shit got fucked up when Adam exploded, or whatever cover story the guy is using, but we don't need to hear about how we need to fix things as the next generation, we get it. Mari's being so nice too, I don't want to disappoint her…' Shinji looked up at Mari. "Alright, Mari, I can show you around town. I'll just tell Hikari I was showing you around, she'll understand."

"She doesn't have a crush on you does she?" Mari asked. "I don't want to make her jealous."

"No, we're just friends." Shinji explained. "She was the first friend I made here. But, I think she likes someone else, but I'll let her tell me when she's ready."

"Aww, you're so nice, Shinji." Mari said. "So, where should we go first?"

"Well… we can go to the mall and look around." Shinji suggested. "Or we could go to the amusement park just outside of town."

"Oooh, Amusement Park, Amusement Park!" Mari shouted. "Let's go there first!"

"Alright, but quit acting like a big kid. You're older than I am." Shinji said. "Come on, the train station is this way."

"Shinji, you have to loosen up, you can't be so mature all the time." Mari said.

–––

A VTOL was flying low and slow over what appeared to be a desert with buildings scattered here and there, and the shoreline, with half sunken and destroyed buildings, off in the distance. The area looked, and felt, deserted. Misato was looking out at the ruins below and in her eyes were only sadness.

"It's hard to believe this desolate wasteland used to be known as the flourishing capital of Tokyo." Misato said solemnly. "I used to live in Minato Ward, in Azabu–Juban, this place used to be so… beautiful… so… lively…"

"And now it's an eradiated, uninhabitable wasteland, incapable of sustaining human life." Ritsuko replied untactfully. "Misato that world died 15 years ago. You can't keep looking back, you of all people should know that…"

"I'm aware of exactly what happened Ritsuko!" Misato snapped. "Man tried to play with God, and God said "fuck you" and nearly destroyed the planet."

"Relax, Misato, I was only saying you need to move forward." Ritsuko said.

"How can I when my mother is somewhere out in that wasteland…" Misato muttered.

"What?" Ritsuko asked. "How would your mother be out there?"

"She died in the hospital when the bomb fell, or she drowned and died when the wave hit, no one knows, as no one survived to tell what happened, at least no those in the city center." Misato explained. "For all I know, her body is still out there… decaying…"

"Misato, am… sorry." Ritsuko said sounding uncharacteristically remorseful. "I didn't realize…"

"It's ok, Ritsuko, it's not something I usually chat about anyway." Misato said. "So, are we at this place yet?"

Ritsuko looked out her window and pointed to a complex built off the ground. It had a large dome shaped building next to a massive landing area for what appeared to be dozens of helicopters. Further in the distance, there was a massive, rectangular building that was roughly the size of an Evangelion.

"Yeah… we're here." Ritsuko said unenthusiastically.

"So, why exactly are they having an event like this in a place like this?" Misato asked. "Is the JSSDF getting involved at all?"

"The Strategic Self–Defense Force, no…" Ritsuko replied. "They're not allowed to interfere with this, as a civilians only project."

"Oh, so they can do whatever they like then, without the military butting their big fat noses in…" Misato grumbled. "How nice for them…"

The VTOL landed amongst the helicopters parked all around, and the two women disembarked. They went inside to check in at the main desk.

"Hello, how may I help you?" The receptionist asked.

"Yes, I'm Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, and this is my colleague, Major Misato Katsuragi. We're with the NERV party." Ritsuko told the girl.

"Ah, yes, here are your badges." The girl said politely. "If you leave your bags here, your belongings will be brought to your room."

"Thank you." Ritsuko said.

"Yeah… thanks." Misato said awkwardly.

They walked into a large banquet hall, with about 40 tables spread around in front of the stage where the microphone was. The NERV table was just as big as the other, and could seat at least 20, but only Ritsuko and Misato had come, as there were more important things for those at NERV to do, like actually fight the Angels. The room was filled almost exclusively with men, excluding Misato and Ritsuko of course, and a few other women spread out in the room. Misato sat down and ordered several beers, because of the open bar, and Ritsuko sat and waited patiently for the presenter to come on stage. A massive banner above the stage gave the reason why everyone was there, and why there was an open bar, for a celebration.

_Celebrating the Completion of the Jet Alone Angel Interdiction System_.

"What a long title for such a stupid looking robot." Misato said as she flipped through the materials on the table. "It even _looks_ stupid."

"Misato, will you relax." Ritsuko said. "Not everything can be as well designed and executed as the Evangelions."

"Yeah… clearly…" Misato said. "So, do you know the dickbag in charge of this thing?"

"Unfortunately." Ritsuko explained. "He came in second to me during my doctoral studies. He was firs before I joined, but my proposal beat his out considerably, knocking him down a rank. Tokita was always full of himself. He may be smart, but he has trouble applying it to anything outside his comfort zone, it limits what he can accomplish, which is why his system seems to be totally automated."

"Not because that might be safer?" Misato asked.

"No, because he would never trust a human to touch his baby." Ritsuko said. "A drone like this could never kill an Angel, the Angel would outthink it faster than it ever could a human. If Shinji has shown us anything, it's that having a pilot who disregards orders, and thinks independently, is actually effective at killing Angels. If he let that targeting computer take the second shot, we'd all probably be dead right now. Tokita thinks computers are the answer to everything."

"So in direct contrast to your MAGI system, computers with a human mind and thought process." Misato quipped.

"Preciously, adding the human condition into a machine improves it, it doesn't take away from it, which is what his research papers have attempted to show." Ritsuko said angrily. "Any idea that doesn't mesh with his is demeaned by him, it's ridiculous. Tokita is an arrogant, little cum rag."

"Wow, Ritsuko, tell us how you really feel…" Misato muttered while a large round of applause started for a stiff looking man walking onto the stage. "Is that him?"

"Yep. That's Tokita." Ritsuko said.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming to this special demonstration of Japan Heavy Chemical Industries latest product. The Jet Alone!" Tokita said proudly. "Tonight is for any questions, and a brief overview of the system itself. Then tomorrow morning, after a wonderful continental breakfast, there will be a live demonstration viewable from inside our Jet Alone Command Center. So, first to the overview, if you'll turn your attention to the screen."

A video began paying displaying the technical readouts of the Jet Alone, its construction process, and its purpose. It was a well–made video, Misato thought, but it lacked any fun and was overly technical, so much so, Misato became quite bored. Once the video ended, Tokita came back out on stage to talk more.

'Wonderful… Mr. Boring himself is back…' Misato thought.

"Alright, now, I'll take some of your questions." Tokita said as Ritsuko's hand shot up. "Ah, yes, the infamous Dr. Akagi. It's a pleasure to have you here with us for the demonstration."

"Thank you." Ritsuko said unconvincingly. "I have several questions I'd like to ask."

"Certainly." Tokita said condescendingly. "Please, go right ahead."

"Your Jet Alone is equipped with a nuclear reactor, is that correct?" Ritsuko asked.

"That is quite correct, Dr. Akagi." Tokita said. "I'm glad you listened to the video. As it stated, this reactor is great selling point, as it guarantees 150 days of uninterrupted operating power before the fuel needs to be replaced."

"I understand that." Ritsuko said. "But from a safety perspective, wouldn't having a delicate nuclear reactor quite risky on a hand–to–hand combat weapon designed for use on land? Wouldn't an N2 reactor be more appropriate? Or a different alternative?"

"We think it's more practical than a weapon that won't work for more than five minutes otherwise." Tokita said. "And Nuclear Nullified reactors are quite expensive to run, where a regular old nuclear reactor is quite safe and far more inexpensive."

"Cost control is fine, but wouldn't remote control be difficult in an emergency situation?" Ritsuko asked. "A computer may be able to throw a virtual switch, but what if the commands are blocked by radiation leakage?"

"Well, it's far more human than a system that induces tremendous physical and mental strain on a pilot, with a great risk mental instability for the pilot as well." Tokita countered.

"Cut it out… you're acting like children." Misato muttered as she chewed on a straw.

"There is still the issue of manual control, what if you Jet Alone can no longer accept commands, what then? You just let it run amok for 150 days?" Ritsuko asked.

Tokita held up a file with pictures of Unit–01 after going berserk and assaulting Sachiel quite violently. The largest of the pictures was of its first roar after breaking the jaw bolts. "I would think it's much safer than an extremely dangerous weapon that has been _proven_ to go berserk, in the middle of a city, with a _pilot_." Tokita shrugged. "Having a weapon that you cannot control is insane. It's like a hysterical woman, completely out of control."

The rest of the room broke into laughter as Ritsuko's face hardened. "Our technology is more than capable of controlling the Evangelions." Ritsuko said confidently.

"So you're suggesting that science and human courage will tame the savage EVA beast?" Tokita said jokingly. "Are you quite serious?"

"Yes, of course I'm serious." Ritsuko said defiantly.

"And because it depends on something as fragile as a human mind, NERV has allowed this situation to get totally and competently out of control. The U.N. has already had to approve an enormous supplement to your existing massive budget, and as a result, 20,000 people, in a dozen countries are starving to death. Of course the actual cause of this has is still under investigation by the U.N., so why don't you at least take responsibility for your handiwork. How fortunate for you that your agency is above and outside the law."

"And you say this as you throw a lavish party for hundreds of people for a test run of your _fabulous_ machine. At least we use our budget to make a difference at NERV, and don't squander it on parties." Ritsuko said. "So it doesn't matter what you say in your petty condescending tone. NERV has the only operational weapon capable of defeating the Angels. We've taken out three so far, and your design will be unable to counter what the enemy can throw at its fragile body."

"Oh, you mean the A.T. Field, don't you?" Tokita said. "Well… it's only a matter of time and research for an effective counterstrategy to its deployment. NERV's day in the sun will not last forever."

All Ritsuko could do in respond was rumble silently. 'Yeah, your little Jet Alone won't be doing so well tomorrow once we've had our say, Shiro Tokita!' Ritsuko thought savagely. 'Let's see you get funding after the test tomorrow…'

–––

It took an out an hour, and a lot of whining from Mari, but they finally arrived at the amusement park. There were a lot of rides, and the majority of the park was empty, seeing as it was a school day. Mari paid for her own ticket, along with Shinji's, and they went inside. Mari looked around in amazement at all the stuff to do, and she grabbed Shinji's hand gently, but tugged him hard to follow her.

"Come on, follow me, Shinji!" Mari said excitedly. "We're going for the roller coaster first, it looks really fun!"

"Roller… coaster?!" Shinji said worriedly. "Is that a safe idea, Mari? I'm a little afraid of heights."

"It'll be fine, Shinji." Mari said. "It's no more dangerous than combating Angels, now is it? Let along piloting Unit–01."

"I guess… but the heights…" Shinji said.

"Don't worry, you can hold my hand the entire time, ok?" Mari said. "I won't let go, alright?"

"Alright…" Shinji relented. "Let's go before I lose my nerve."

"That's the spirit, Shinji!" Mari said, dragging him along behind her.

They got on the roller coaster quite quickly seeing as there was no line. Shinji and Mari took the front car and when the restraint bars came down, Shinji shut his eyes. Mari took his hand and held it tightly.

"Hey, Shinji, you don't have to be scared, I'm right here, ok?"

"I'll do my best…" Shinji muttered as his face turned white.

The ride started out nice and slow, with a slow climb to the top of the first drop.

"This doesn't seem so…" Shinji said right before the roller coaster took off at high speed down the drop. "WAHHHHHHH!" Shinji screamed.

"WHHEEEEEEEE!" Mari shouted. "THIS IS SO MUCH FUN!" Mari looked over at Shinji. 'I hope I'm not being selfish bringing him on here with me… but I never really got to have this kind of fun when I was a kid, I was too busy with school.'

Shinji could only continue screaming. "WAHHHHHHH!" And did so until the ride was over, and the cars finally stopped at the end of the ride. He was whiter than a sheet when they got off, while Mari looked unaffected, but positively happy.

"Hey, Shinji, are you ok?" Mari asked.

"No…" Shinji muttered weakly. "Well… maybe…"

"Well, at least you didn't throw up." Mari felt Shinji's pants. "Or apparently piss yourself, or leave a brown streak in your pants, so you're fine." Mari said brightly.

"Mari! Why… did you touch there, that's not very… appropriate!" Shinji shouted.

"I was only checking to see if I needed to escort you home." Mari said sheepishly, blushing a bit. "I didn't mean to upset you. But you do look kinda pale, why don't we go somewhere else for a bit, huh?"

"It's… ok I guess… just ask first next time, ok?" Shinji stammered. "Just nothing else… so scary… please…"

"Sure I can remember to ask first. But nothing scary you say? I think we can handle that." Mari said. "So no haunted house then, right."

"No… please…" Shinji said.

'I guess it was a bit selfish to force him… I'll have to make it up to him.' Mari thought. "How about the Ferris Wheel?" Mari asked. "Sure it goes up high, but the pod is enclosed, and it's nice and slow. And we can talk a bit too."

"I guess… but can we get some ginger ale or something?" Shinji asked. "My stomach is kinda queasy."

"Sure, Shinji." Mari said. "Do you want me to give you a piggy back ride?" Mari asked.

"No, I can still walk, just not that fast." Shinji said as he stumbled forward.

"Oh, no…" Mari said, crouching down. "Get on, I don't want you to get hurt. Just wrap your arms around my neck, and I'll hold onto your legs, then we'll get you a soda, and go relax on the Ferris Wheel."

"You can't carry me, can you?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, you don't look that heavy, besides, just cause I'm a girl, doesn't mean I'm not strong enough to carry you." Mari retorted.

"I didn't mean that… I just don't want you to strain your back…" Shinji muttered, blushing heavily. "I'm not worth you getting hurt too…"

"It's nice you're concerned for me, Shinji, but you're the one that's in need of help right now, so get on board." Mari said sternly.

"Ok…" Shinji said gripping around her neck gently.

"Ok, let's go." Mari said marching off towards the concession stands. As she walked, the few people in the park looked at her carrying Shinji, he was still quite pale and sickly looking, and Mari ignored what they were saying. I took her a few minutes to get there, and when she did, she ordered a soda and tried to give it to Shinji, but he had fallen asleep. So, Mari took the soda and walked over to the Ferris Wheel, and gently woke Shinji up.

"Hey, sleepyhead, time to wake up." Mari whispered into his ear.

"Huh?!" Shinji said shocked, and he almost let go of Mari's neck. "Wait, what?"

"Shinji, you fell asleep while I was carrying you." Mari said. "Here, you can get down now, we're at the Ferris Wheel."

Shinji clambered down from her back, and was a bit unsteady on his feet. Mari propped him up and walked over to the controller of the ride. "Just us two, please." Mari said.

"How many times around?" he asked.

"Oh, four or five, nice and slow, if you please." Mari said.

"Go on in." The man replied.

Shinji sat down first, opposite of Mari. She handed him his soda. "Here, drink this, I just hope it isn't too warm."

Shinji took a sip. "No, its fine, Mari, thank you."

The Ferris Wheel started up and began to go around very slowly. Shinji's knuckles went white, so Mari reached out and held his hands, and he squeezed hers tightly.

"Hey, relax, Shinji, it'll be fine." Mari said sweetly.

"I know… I just get scared a lot easier when it comes to heights." Shinji said.

"Nothing to be worried about. I hate being in the dark, it scares the shit out of me." Mari said. 'Because Lilith would leave me in the dark if she was angry, she'd cut off my senses and leave me all alone…'

"Really?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, of course." Mari said. "What else are you afraid of? It's ok to talk about, sometimes that helps. And I won't make fun of you."

"You don't seem like the kind of person to be mean, Mari. You just like to tease people." Shinji said. "In a fun way I guess…"

"You catch on quick… for a boy." Mari teased.

"What… oh I see what you did there." Shinji said.

"So, what else are you afraid of?" Mari asked again.

"Well, I'm afraid of the water." Shinji said. "When I was little, I almost drowned in a lake, I was leaning over a ledge trying to poke the fish, and I just lost my balance and fell in, my mother jumped in to save me. I never learned to swim after that, because I always got so nervous when I was near water, or when I was high up…"

'Yui saved him from drowning… poor kid. NO wonder he didn't like the roller coaster, I should've listened to what he told me…' Mari thought. "Shinji… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken you on the roller coaster, or this ride here, I should've asked why you were afraid of heights…"

"Mari, its ok." Shinji replied. "The Ferris Wheel makes everything seem so nice."

"I'm glad." Mari smiled. "So, do you think you'll ever get over those fears?"

"I don't know, I guess if I face them head on, I could, I wouldn't want to do the roller coaster again, one dangerous thing is enough for me, and the EVA already has that spot." Shinji joked. "But the Ferris Wheel is kind of… fun. So I could do this again."

"Good." Mari said dimply. "So, are you going to keep crushing my hands, or…"

"Sorry…" Shinji muttered. "I didn't realize I was hurting you, Mari."

"It's ok, couldn't really feel it to be honest." Mari replied. 'I've been put though so much by Lilith I barely even noticed…' Mari thought.

"So, Mari…" Shinji said sheepishly. "What else are you afraid of?"

"Other than the dark?" Mari asked.

"Yeah…" Shinji replied. "Is there anything else you're afraid of?"

"Well, I'm afraid of cars…" Mari replied.

"Why?" Shinji asked. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah, when I was eight, on my eighth birthday, my parents were killed in a car crash, a truck t–boned them, and I survived, barely. The doctors I had said I was lucky to be alive." Mari explained. "I can remember the whole event because I have a photographic memory, the screaming… the glass… and the… blood…" Mari shivered. "I don't think I'll ever get into a car again… I always have panic attacks when I'm in one, and I'm too afraid to learn how to drive… I just don't want to get hurt again…"

'That's so sad… and she remembers it too… I can't imagine what it must be like to remember a parent dying right in front of you…' Shinji thought. "Mari, if you help me with my fear of heights and my fear of the water, then I could try and you with your fear of driving." Shinji said kindly. "That's what friends do, right? Help each other out when they need it."

"Do you mean that?" Mari asked.

"Of course!" Shinji said firmly.

"Thanks a bunch Shinji, that's really sweet of you." Mari said as she looked out the window. "Oh, we're coming to the bottom again, I think this is the end of the ride..."

"Is that it?" Shinji asked. "I was really enjoying our chat…"

"Yeah, so was I…" Mari replied.

The ride can to a hard stop, the basket rocked so hard, that Shinji fell out of his seat and onto Mari in a very compromising position.

"Hey, Shinji are you ok?" Mari asked.

Shinji jolted up from his landing position bringing his head off of Mari's chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"Shinji, it was either my boobs, or the floor. I would rather your face hit my boobs, we don't want to disfigure that cute face of yours." Mari teased.

"Still… I'm sorry…" Shinji muttered.

"Don't be." Mari said. "If you told your guy friends about this, they'd be jealous of you."

"No, they'd just tell me I was being a child…" Shinji muttered.

"No, it's called being respectful of women, dummy." Mari said. "But they were soft weren't they? Go on now… be honest."

Shinji blushed. "Yeah, they were soft…"

"Well, come on, there has to be something else we can do beside talk about how soft my tits are." Mari said. "What do you want to do Shinji?"

"Well, there is something I've been putting off for a while now, I guess now is as good a time as any to go do it." Shinji said.

"What is it?" Mari asked.

"You'll see…" Shinji said. "Come on, let's go back to town."

–––

Back in their room, Misato was kicking the fuck out of a locker, while Ritsuko sat in the corer filling the garbage can in the room with all the Jet Alone materials from the dinner table.

"That stupid… sexist… fucking… asshole!" Misato shouted as she dented the locker further. "I didn't realize they stacked shit as high as him! I want to unscrew his head fucking arrogant head, and shit down his goddamn neck! I want to gouge out his eyeballs and skull fuck him, but I don't have a fucking penis!"

"Been watching _Full Metal Jacket_ again, huh Misato?" Ritsuko asked.

"Yeah, it was on the other night!" Misato shouted as she kicked the locker again. "They're just pissed off because they aren't getting what they think they deserve for funding, for an unproven weapon. We know ours work!"

"Misato, stop kicking the locker, you're acting like a child." Ritsuko said as she threw a match into the material in the garbage can. "He's just a sad little showoff begging for praise and adulation. He's petty and not worthy of so much anger and aggression."

"Yeah, well how did that smug son of a notch know about the A.T. Field, huh Ritsuko?" Misato said, kicking the locker once more.

"I'm not sure how something so classified got out. Section 2 must be dragging its ass on some leak we have internally."

"Well, it's something to bring to the Commander's attention when we get back." Ritsuko said. "Although, I doubt this little _toy_ will actually work."

"I hope you're right Ritsuko…" Misato said.

–––

"Hello, I'd like to see Sakura Suzuhara please." Shinji asked.

"Of course." The nurse said. "Are you family?"

"No…" Shinji replied. "Her brother, Toji, I go to school with him, and he told me that she wanted to meet me. I'm Shinji, Shinji Ikari."

"So you're the Shinji she's always talking about…" The nurse replied. "Well, she's in the ICU still, poor dear… Room 8. Will your friend be going in too?"

"Yes." Shinji said.

"Alright, just go that way to the ICU, and it'll be then the rooms are numbered sequentially." The nurse explained.

"Thank you." Shinji said politely. "Come on, Mari."

The two walked off towards the ICU, and Mari looked over at him. "Why does this girl, Sakura, want to meet you?" Mari asked.

"I saved her life the first time I deployed in Unit–01, against the Third Angel." Shinji explained. "I was thorn into a building, and it collapsed, trapping her underneath, Misato told me she couldn't send help, so I dug the girl out myself, and then her brother found her and brought her to the hospital…"

"So you put your life on the line for someone you didn't know?" Mari asked. "That's something very few people are capable of, Shinji."

Shinji blushed. "Thanks…"

They approached the doors to the ICU and Shinji froze.

"What if I'm not who she expects?" Shinji asked.

"Hey, you're her hero, Shinji." Mari said. "You saved her life, I don't think she's expecting anything. She probably just wants to say thank you is all."

"You think?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, and come on, you can't lose your nerve yet, Shinji." Mari said. "Just go in there."

They walked into the ICU and looked for Room 8. When they found it, there was a label next to the door reading " _S. Suzuhara_ " and there was a young girl inside watching TV and eating lunch. They went inside and the girl looked over to them.

"Hello there, are you two lost?" Sakura asked.

"No, I'm here to see you… Sakura…" Shinji said nervously. "I'm… Shinji… Toji said you wanted to meet me?"

"You're Shinji?" Sakura said happily. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"I made him skip." Mari piped up. "I'm Mari by the way, a new EVA pilot assigned to NERV, nice to meet ya! Shinji was kind enough to show me around Tokyo–3, and seeing as he was free, he took the opportunity to come and see you, right Shinji?"

"Right." Shinji said, nervously walking over to Sakura's bedside. "I'm really sorry you got hurt because of me… I wasn't thinking, and you suffered for my mistake…"

"Why are you apologizing?" Sakura asked. "You do realize that you saved me right? I was still kinda awake, but I saw that thing attack you as Toji carried me away. You got hurt to save me, you could've died."

"Well… I guess…" Shinji said. "I wasn't really thinking about it, I was more concerned about getting you out of the rubble…"

"Really?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah… I didn't want my carelessness to kill anyone, not if I could save them…" Shinji said. "And I won anyway, so any injuries I got were more than worth it."

"Wow…" Sakura said. "Shinji, that's the kindest thing anyone's ever done for me. I don't think there is any way I could repay you."

"You don't need to repay me Sakura." Shinji said. "I caused that building to collapse, so we're even."

"No, we're not even, Shinji." Sakura said forcibly. "You were fighting that thing, that, whatsit…"

"Angel…" Shinji said.

"You were fighting that Angel, you shouldn't be concerned about any life but your own, but you were…" Sakura said. "You saved me Shinji, and that's a debt you can't repay."

"Sakura, I already told you don't have to thank me. It was the least I could do, there is no debt to be paid." Shinji said.

"But, Shinji, the reason I wanted to meet to meet you was to say thank you." Sakura said. "But I don't think that's enough to repay you…"

Shinji took Sakura's hand. "Sakura a thank you is more than enough." Shinji said kindly. "It's all anyone can ever ask another person for helping them."

"Then thank you, Shinji Ikari." Sakura said as she leaned forward and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Thank you for saving my life."

"You're welcome, Sakura." Shinji said, blushing from the kiss.

"Oh, Shinji you're sweet!" Mari exclaimed.

"Stop teasing, Mari." Shinji said.

"Yeah, you shouldn't make fun of a hero like him." Sakura said admonishingly.

"Oh, my mistake!" Mari said. "Sorry…"

"Yeah, you should be!" Sakura exclaimed.

"She doesn't mean anything by it, Sakura, she's harmless." Shinji said as Mari stuck out her tongue.

"So, Shinji, why did you bring her along anyway?" Sakura asked.

"Well, she just came to town today, and she begged me to show her around." Shinji explained. "But I realized I should come here and meet you, because Toji always brings it up, but I'm usually busy with sync tests for the Evangelion. So, seeing as I wasn't stuck in school, I thought now would be a good time to come visit."

"The… Evangelion?" Sakura asked. "Is that the purple thing you were in?"

"Yeah, Unit–01 is my Evangelion." Shinji said. "But, Sakura, can you keep a secret? Even from Kensuke?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah!" Sakura said happily.

"So, there are four Evangelions. Mine, Unit–01, Rei's Unit–00, and Mari's Unit–XP. There's another one apparently on the way, Unit–02." Shinji said. "So there'll be plenty of people here to protect you from now on, not just me."

"That's so cool!" Sakura shouted. "My brother is friends with a bunch of heroes!"

"Kinda." Mari said. "We're just doing what we're told to do, and hope no one get hurt in the process. Shinji's the only one to go up against the three Angels we've faced, so he's way more experienced than little old me."

"Wait, you've fought three of them?" Sakura asked. "So the one you saved me from, the one you save my idiot brother from, and then… was the power outage was the last one?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, the power outage was us." Shinji said. "We had this giant rifle and pumped all of Japan's power into it and Rei defended me from the Angel's attacks. She nearly died protecting me so that I could kill the Angel. The computer missed the first shot, and only grazed it, so for the second one I had to wait for the rifle to cool down, and then I shut off the targeting equipment and took the shot manually. Rei stayed right in front of me till I killed that Angel, and I was so worried she'd gotten hurt, but she was alright, just a little banged up, which made me happy. The other two Angels were just luck though. I'm not even sure how I beat the first one, and that second one, I was lucky I killed it as fast as I did, otherwise your Toji and Kensuke would have been in danger…"

'Wow, Shinji is an awful lot like Yui…' Mari thought. 'He took a chance on something to save lives, even at the risk of his own, and luck follows him around everywhere. Who can make a long range shot with a sniper rifle shooting positrons without computer guidance? Talk about luck, more like a miracle… I wonder if that has anything to do with Yui being in the Core of Unit–01? Well, it can't be all her, she's locked away mostly, probably like I was. So he has some natural piloting ability then, and some natural skills with a weapon, just like that nutty uncle of his. I wonder if he knows about Shinji, his proud uncle? Well, I can't exactly ask him without giving myself away, can I? God this sucks, I just want to tell him everything, but I can't. I don't want to get the Professor in trouble over me…'

"Well then, luck is a special skill of yours, Shinji." Sakura said. "Clearly some greater power out there thinks you're worthy of saving humanity."

"That's an awfully mature thing for a girl your age to say." Shinji said.

"Hey, I'm 12, and I had a brush with death!" sakura said proudly. "That makes some people have dep thoughts about stuff!"

"Sorry…" Shinji muttered.

"Well, he stands corrected then." Mari quipped.

"It's ok, Shinji, I forgive you." Sakura said. "I'm sure you've had a near life death experience with your line of work."

"Yeah, one or two." Shinji joked.

"Still, that's a lot for anyone to go through." Sakura said as she yawned loudly. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm used to napping after lunch. No one usually visits me until school lets out."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know." Shinji said. "I could come back later."

"It's ok, it's worth being tired to meet my hero." Sakura said, smiling. "I'll tell Toji you stopped by though. He'll be glad."

"Yeah, he'll stop making me feel guilty every time he tells me…" Shinji said.

"Toji's been making you feel guilty by going to do your job?!" Sakura shouted. "I'll have a little chat with him about that when he comes by later."

"Take it easy Sakura, it's not Toji's fault, I just… feel guilty about stuff outside my control a lot of the time." Shinji said. "Don't yell at him on my account."

"Alright, Shinji." Sakura yawned again. "I should get some sleep though, or I won't be awake enough for when Toji comes by. But that doesn't mean you're off the hook mister." Sakura explained.

"What do you mean, Sakura?" Shinji asked.

"I want you to promise you'll come see me again." Sakura said. "I know you're busy and everything, but it was fun having you here. We can talk about the Evangelions, or the Angels, or anything you want. I like getting visitors."

"It's a promise." Shinji said, smiling broadly.

"I'll hold him to it, don't worry." Mari said. "I'll have him skip school again if he doesn't come by soon."

Shinji laughed. "See, nothing to worry about."

"Bye now, Shinji. It was nice to meet you, and you too Mari." Sakura said as she settled into bed.

"Bye." Mari said brightly.

"Bye, Sakura." Shinji said. "See you soon!"

–––

Out on the street, walking away from the hospital Mari looked over at a smiling Shinji and decided to find out what they were doing next.

"Hey, Shinji, where do you want to go now?" Mari asked.

"Well, I figured we could get something to eat, seeing as its way past lunchtime, and I can hear your stomach growling angrily." Shinji joked.

"Sounds like a plan, but I pick where we eat!" Mari exclaimed.

"Sure." Shinji said. "Wherever you want to eat, Mari."

"Hold on, do you have a phonebook anywhere?" Mari asked. "Or a payphone?"

"Yeah, in they're in all the payphones, I think there's one on the corner." Shinji said pointing toward the green booth. "Unless you want to look it up online, we can go to that internet café over there."

"Internet café?" Mari asked. 'Being in this new time may not be the best thing in the world for me after all… I guess I've missed a lot being gone for 17 years.' Mari thought.

"Yeah, they have computers you can use if you don't have online access on some fancy phone." Shinji explained. "Didn't they have them in the U.K.?"

"No, I didn't leave the house much in the last few years, I couldn't." Mari replied. "But a phonebook will do just fine." Mari dragged Shinji over to the phone booth on the corner, and she flipped rapidly through it looking for something quite particular. "Ah! Here it is, on F Street between 52nd and 53rd, well, we're on 27th and B, ugh that's a long walk." Mari grimaced. "Well, let's go. I guess we have to earn our dinner!"

After a 30 minute walk, they arrived at Mari's intended destination. "A karaoke bar?" Shinji exclaimed. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I saw you had that music player with you on the train, I figured you might like to come here." Mari said. "Plus, they have a buffet, so it's all you can eat!"

"I guess, but we don't have to sing, do we?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, come on Shinji, where's the fun in that?" Mari said.

"But…" Shinji started.

"No buts, Shinji, and don't give me those sad puppy dog eyes either." Mari said. "You said I got to choose where we eat, and I chose here. Now be a good puppy and follow me."

"Puppy?" Shinji asked. "Mari, I'm not… a dog."

"I know, but it's your nickname now, Shinji." Mari said. "It fits you, especially seeing as when you're sad or scared you have this sad puppy dog look that's so adorable."

"Fine, but don't use it in public, I don't want Toji or Kensuke teasing me because of it." Shinji said.

"Don't worry, no one gets to use my nicknames for people, except me!" Mari said.

Mari walked inside, and Shinji followed trepidatiously, as he didn't want to sing, but had a sinking feeling Mari was going to force the issue. Ari paid for their seat, which weren't too far from the stage, and the place had a few dozen people in it, even though it was the middle of the day. Thankfully Shinji didn't recognize anyone, so he was glad for that. Mari dragged him over to the buffet to get food, which Mari stacked on her plate as though she hadn't eaten in months, and then they both sat down and started chatting again.

"You know Shinji, it was very nice of you to go and see Sakura." Mari said as she dug into the food on her plate. "You were very sweet to her too."

"I was just trying to be nice." Shinji replied. "She's wanted to meet me for a couple weeks, and I've wanted to go, but Dr. Akagi keeps me so damn busy with the sync tests, it's hard to find time when I'm not tired or smell like LCL."

"Well, that's understandable. But Shinji, LCL doesn't smell that bad." Mari said. "It makes you smell… sexy."

Shinji spit out some of the soda he was drinking. "WHAT?!"

"Jeez, you take things so literally, Shinji." Mari quipped. "I like the smell of LCL, I don't know why, I guess it just reminds me of a happier time…" Mari thought back. 'A happier time with Yui and Kyoko before the world went to hell…'

"Oh…" Shinji said quietly. "I always thought it smelled a bit like blood…"

"Well, it kinda does, but I like it anyway." Mari said happily. "Besides, I'm weird, so I like things a lot of things other people don't."

"Mari, you're not weird, just different." Shinji said. "And seeing as everyone's different, that doesn't make you weird at all, just another person."

"That's not what the kids at my school used to tell me…" Mari muttered as a tear rolled down her eye. "The, weird, little smart girl, they'd call me."

"I used to be called weird too, Mari. I used to get beat up too. After my mother died, and my father left me in Atsugi, kids would tease me for my father killing my mother, or that I was weird for always being alone." Shinji explained. "Until I met my friends here in Tokyo–3, I always felt alone. I didn't want to be near anyone before until Hikari was nice to me, and then I just started making friends after that. So now I don't feel alone all the time, I don't feel isolated either. My friends tease me, sure, but it's fun, and I think you'd get along with them too. So don't let the past keep you down, Mari, sometimes you have to try and forget the past, no matter how much it hurts."

"Your father abandoned you!" Mari shouted. "What an asshole!"

"Mari was that your only takeaway?" Shinji asked.

"No…" Mari said. "Did your father really kill your mother?" Mari asked. 'I doubt he did, he loved Yui with all his heart, the Professor even told me as much, Gendo's entire plan is to bring her back… I just hope Shinji doesn't believe he actually killed her…'

"I don't think he did, mother always said he loved her more than life itself, but we don't really talk, so how would I know…" Shinji replied.

"Oh, Shinji, I'm sorry." Mari said. "You were trying to make me feel better, and you did, but I ruined it. I'm really sorry."

"It's ok, Mari." Shinji said. "That was everyone else's reaction too when I told them. Its fine, you don't have anything to be sorry about."

"Good, but I'm also sorry for one other thing." Mari said.

"What?" Shinji asked.

"I signed us both up to sing on stage. I left your song blank, so you can choose whatever you like." Mari explained.

"But, Mari, I don't want to…" Shinji protested.

"No buts, Shinji." Mari said. "You have to step out of your comfort zone sometimes. I'm going first, so you'll see how easy it is, and I'm sure you'll do fine."

"But, Mari…" Shinji pleaded.

"Makinami–san, if you would please come to the stage, you're next!" The KJ said.

"Sorry, Shinji." Mari said happily. "Got to go make the crowd love me!"

Mari walked up on stage and took the microphone from the KJ. "Thanks, I hope everyone like my song choice." Mari pointed to the KJ. "Hit it Fonzie!" And the music played.

**♪Tell me what you want**   
**What you like**   
**It's okay**   
**I'mma little curious too**   
**Tell me if it's wrong**   
**If it's right**   
**I don't care**   
**I can keep a secret could, you?**

**Got my mind on your body**   
**And your body on my mind**   
**Got a taste for the cherry**   
**I just need to take a bite**   
**Don't tell your mother**   
**Kiss one another**   
**Die for each other**   
**We're cool for the summer**   
**(Ha)**

**Ooh**   
**Ooh**   
**Take me down into your paradise**   
**Don't be scared 'cause I'm your body type**   
**Just something that we wanna try**   
**'Cause you and I**   
**We're cool for the summer**

**Tell me if I won**   
**If I did**   
**What's my prize?**   
**I just wanna play with you, too**   
**Even if they judge, fuck it**   
**I'll do the time**   
**I just wanna have some fun with you**

**Got my mind on your body**   
**And your body on my mind**   
**Got a taste for the cherry**   
**I just need to take a bite**   
**Don't tell your mother**   
**Kiss one another**   
**Die for each other**   
**We're cool for the summer**   
**(Ha)**

**Ooh**   
**Ooh**   
**Take me down into your paradise**   
**Don't be scared 'cause I'm your body type**   
**Just something that we wanna try**   
**'Cause you and I**   
**We're cool for the summer**   
**We're cool for the summer**   
**We're cool for the summer**

**Shhh...**   
**(Don't tell your mother)**   
**Got my mind on your body**   
**And your body on my mind**   
**Got a taste for the cherry**   
**I just need to take a bite**

**Take me down**   
**Take me down into your paradise**   
**Don't be scared 'cause I'm your body type**   
**Just something that we wanna try**   
**'Cause you and I**   
**We're cool for the summer**

**We're cool for the summer**   
**(Don't be scared) 'Cause I'm your body type**   
**Just something that we wanna try**   
**'Cause you and I**   
**We're cool for the summer**   
**Ooh**   
**We're cool for the summer♪**

Mari got off stage to a thunderous applause from the audience, while Shinji sat in their booth, awestruck. Mari took a few bows and leapt off the stage, and came back to the table.

'Wow, she has such a pretty voice, I wonder if she sings often?' Shinji thought as Mari walked over. "Mari… that was wonderful."

"See, Shinji, it's not so hard, is it?" Mari asked. "You're up next, so get ready."

"Wait, I have to follow your performance?" Shinji asked. "That's not fair, what if I suck?"

"You won't suck, Shinji." Mari sad. "You'll do fine. Just pick a song you want to do that you know, ok?"

"Alright…" Shinji relented.

"Ok, Ikari–san, come up to the stage now please!" The KJ shouted. "You still have a song to choose!"

Shinji walked nervously up to the stage, and walked over to KJ. HE flipped through the songs he had until h found one he had on his SDAT, and told the KJ to play that one. The KJ handed him the microphone.

"Hello everyone…" Shinji said nervously. "Uh, please forgive me if I'm not good at this, my friend signed me up. I'm sorry in advance." Shinji turned to the KJ. "Uh, I guess start the song then…" And the music played.

**♪So lately, been wondering**   
**Who will be there to take my place?**   
**When I'm gone, you'll need love**   
**To light the shadows on your face**   
**If a great wave shall fall**   
**And fall upon us all**   
**Then between the sand and stone**   
**Could you make it on your own?**

**If I could, then I would**   
**I'll go wherever you will go**   
**Way up high or down low**   
**I'll go wherever you will go**

**And maybe, I'll find out**   
**A way to make it back someday**   
**To watch you, to guide you**   
**Through the darkest of your days**   
**If a great wave shall fall**   
**And fall upon us all**   
**Then I hope there's someone out there**   
**Who can bring me back to you**

**If I could, then I would**   
**I'll go wherever you will go**   
**Way up high or down low**   
**I'll go wherever you will go**

**Run away with my heart**   
**Run away with my hope**   
**Run away with my love**

**I know now, just quite how**   
**My life and love might still go on**   
**In your heart, in your mind**   
**I'll stay with you for all of time**

**If I could, then I would**   
**I'll go wherever you will go**   
**Way up high or down low**   
**I'll go wherever you will go**

**If I could turn back time**   
**I'll go wherever you will go**   
**If I could make you mine**   
**I'll go wherever you will go**   
**I'll go wherever you will go♪**

Much to Shinji surprise, he actually didn't do that bad, and he got a nice applause, and some loud whistling coming from none other than Mari. Shinji bowed and walked off the stage, and back to the table.

"Shinji, that was great!" Mari said happily getting up and crushing him in a bear hug. "Didn't I tell you you'd be fine? You shouldn't doubt me so much."

"Yes, thank you, Mari." Shinji said weakly. "But could you let go, I'm having trouble…. breathing!"

"Oh, sorry." Mari said.

"It's ok." Shinji said. "So where are we going after this?"

"I don't know, isn't it kinda late?" Mari said.

Shinji checked his watch. "It's 4:30p, Mari. It's not that late."

"Well, to be honest, I don't really have anywhere to go." Mari explained. "My apartment isn't ready yet, it won't be ready till tomorrow."

"Oh, I didn't realize." Shinji said. "Do you need somewhere to stay?"

"Yeah, like a hotel or something would be good." Mari said.

"No, you can stay with me at my guardian's apartment. She won't mind." Shinji said. "Although she'd tell me something about bringing a girl over, Misato's not home, so it she can't tease me about it."

"Shinji, you're inviting a girl to stay with you… while you're alone?" Mari joked. "How forward of you, Shinji, I'm not that kind of girl!"

"I didn't mean… you know I'm not a pervert… I just don't want you to be alone… I'm just trying to be nice…" Shinji stammered.

"Shinji I'm just kidding, relax." Mari said. "I would be honored to be offered a place in your home."

"Jeez, Mari, you really make me flustered sometimes." Shinji said.

"I know." Mari said. "It's a gift."

–––

After a long walk home with a short stop at the store on the corner, night had fallen by the time Shinji had gotten home with Mari in tow. Waiting at the door was an aggravated and hungry Pen–Pen. Shinji pulled out a large package of "bacon n' beef" jerky and handed it to the penguin.

"Sorry, buddy." Shinji said. "I hope this makes up for it."

"Wark…" Pen–Pen said as he grabbed the package and wadded away.

"Is that… a penguin?" Mari asked. "And he eats jerky?"

"Yeah, his name is Pen–Pen, he's Misato's pet. I usually give him a snack when I get home, but I haven't been back all day, so he's upset, that's what the large bag of jerky was for." Shinji explained. "A small bribe so he won't be mad at me anymore."

"That's pretty smart Shinji." Mari said, putting her bags down. "I'm glad I didn't bring too much stuff with me, just a set of clothes, a cell phone, and some other junk."

"That's not a lot Mari, are you sure you have something to wear for tomorrow?" Shinji asked.

"Of course!" Mari said. "An exact duplicate of the outfit I have on now! I should be off the hook being new and all, and the rest of my crap will be in town tomorrow."

"Alright then." Shinji said. "If you want to change, you can use Misato's room, she should have stuff to that'll fit you, and you have about the same size chest."

"So you were looking?" Mari asked. "You little devil…"

"You said it was ok, Mari." Shinji quipped.

"Good, puppy, you listened!" Mari joked. "You deserve a cookie! But how do you know our tits are the same size?"

"Ha, ha, Mari." Shinji said. "Misato barely wears anything around the apartment, so it's not my fault I noticed. It's hard not to when she flaunts herself so openly."

"Did you say… hard?" Mari asked. "Shinji, does the thought of an older women arouse you? Does it make you… hard?"

"I can see that was a poor choice of words." Shinji said sadly.

"Yeah, phrasing is everything, Shinji." Mari said, disappearing into Misato's room. Shinji disappeared to his won and changed into a loose t–shirt and shorts. When he went back out to the living room, Mari emerged from Misato's room in a yellow t–shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and blue cut–off shorts. "How do I look?" Mari asked.

"You look… nice." Shinji said.

"So not sexy then… what a shame…" Mari said, giving Shinji a sad look.

"Mari, don't be like that." Shinji said. "I said you like nice, I should've said you were pretty too."

"Oh, Shinji, you certainly know how to make a girl swoon!" Mari exclaimed. "So where will I be sleeping, Casanova?" Mari asked.

"Well, you can use my bed, I'll stay on the couch, as guests shouldn't be made to feel unwanted." Shinji said. "And I don't want you to go in Misato's room, as she doesn't clean it, and I absolutely refuse to."

"Wait, this Misato, makes you clean?" Mari asked. "I mean her room looks like a rabid dog tore through there."

"Yes and no." Shinji replied. "She never does her share of the chores, and she's really messy. If I didn't clean up, this place would look like her room."

"Still that's shitty of her, you're the kid, you should be able to have fun." Mari said.

"I don't mind, I make fun of her for it sometimes if she teases me too much." Shinji replied.

'I'll have to show this Misato whose boss. No one gets to make fun of Shinji but me, his godmother…' Mari thought. "Still though, that's not very adult of her."

"She may be in charge of tactical operations at NERV, but she's far from mature." Shinji quipped.

"Wait, she's our boss!?" Mari shouted. "How the fuck?!"

"Well, she's really professional at work, but as soon as she leaves NERV, she becomes this whole different, completely irresponsible person." Shinji explained. "I don't get it."

"Wow… who knew?" Mari said. "So, I have to sleep alone then if you're out here?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, I thought that would be appropriate." Shinji said.

"But I don't want to be alone." Mari said cutely. "I'm scared of the dark, remember, especially in unfamiliar surroundings. I might get scared and have a nightmare."

"But Mari… I don't think that it's appropriate…" Shinji started. 'Does Mari like me, or she just joking again?' Shinji thought.

"Nonsense!" Mari said. "We're just going to sleep next to each other, nothing else. Unless you have some unsavory ideas, Mr. Ikari."

"No… of course not… I wasn't even thinking of that… I'm that kind of guy… I'm sorry!" Shinji stammered haplessly. "I didn't mean to suggest… I just thought you'd like your space… I didn't think that, I swear…"

"Shinji, relax, I was only teasing." Mari said. "And I promise not to try anything either, ok?"

"What?!" Shinji shouted, falling over in shock.

"Oh, your reactions are so adorable, Shinji." Mari said, helping the poor boy up. "You need to relax, we're just going to cuddle, I swear."

"Ok… but this isn't exactly normal, is it?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, but it'll be fun, don't worry." Mari said. "So, are you ready for bed, then?"

"Yeah… I guess." Shinji replied nervously.

"Good, let's go to be then!" Mari exclaimed while she dragged Shinji behind her to his dark room. "Not very well decorated, is it?" Mari quipped.

"No, I'm not really big on decoration…" Shinji said.

"Well, its fine." Mari said laying down. "Don't be shy now, Shinji, I don't bite. Just lay down in front of me, ok?"

"Ok…" Shinji said. 'I hope this doesn't get weird…'

"Good puppy." Mari joked. "See, isn't this nice?" Mari asked.

"Yeah…" Shinji blushed. "But why am I in front exactly?" Shinji asked.

"Just in case you get excited in your sleep by some sexy dream." Mari said seriously. "I don't like being woken up to a hard poke in the back. Unless you're already excited…"

"What?! I'm not… I'm not just… that's not…" Shinji stammered.

"Shinji, relax, I was kinda kidding." Mari said.

"Well, we should get to sleep, we have school tomorrow." Shinji said.

"Yeah, but school sucks." Mari said. "But it might not seeing as we're in the same class."

"It'll be great Mari." Shinji said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Shinji." Mari said as she snuggled against him.

As they tried to fall asleep they were both thinking about the day, and the person next to them. Ari's arm ended up curled around Shinji in an awkward embrace as she tried to get comfortable, and the worried look on Shinji's face had disappeared as he became more comfortable with being this close to Mari.

'She really was just scared to be alone, wasn't she?' Shinji thought. 'It's actually not that bad, she's really warm. I guess she just didn't want to tell me she was afraid to be alone, but I can understand that, I hated being alone, even though it was all I wanted most of the time. This isn't so bad, she's really nice, and I'm glad I met her and made a new friend. I'm just surprised she's an EVA pilot too, it's nice knowing I won't be fighting alone anymore. I hope I can become friends with the other new pilot coming soon…'

'He's so nice, he didn't even question my motive of wanting to cuddle, he just went ahead and did it.' Mari thought. 'Shinji really is so nice, I had a lot of fun today, it made me remember how much fun I had with Yui and Kyoko all those years ago… god I sound old, but I kinda am, I'm supposed to be 33 this year, not still 16. I feel like I lost a lifetime in that Core. So much has changed, phones, outers, Second Impact and WWIII for fuck's sake. But somehow, being with Shinji, I feel like imp not lost anymore. I know when I came out of that thing I was confused and scared, all the way up till I met him. Just being round him makes me happy. He reminds me a lot of Yui, kind, considerate, fun, and even lovable… oh, Yui I miss you so much, but I promise to keep him safe…' Mari snuggled closer to Shinji, pressing up against him. 'You know he even smells a bit like Yui too…'

* * *

August 22, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Mari awoke before Shinji did, and could tell he was still asleep. Mari blinked for a few moments so her eyes could adjust to the light. She got up slowly as to not disturb Shinji, and silently crept to the bathroom. Mari had no idea what time school started, but it was 7:45a according to the clock in Shinji's room. She decided she should wake him up and ask him, that way they might not be late.

"Heya, Shinji." Mari whispered. "You awake?"

"Five more minutes, mommy…" Shinji muttered.

Mari got a bit misty eyed at his response. 'I wish I was your mother Shinji, but I'm not. I wish I could tell you she's with you every time you're in Unit–01, but I can't.' Mari thought. "Shinji, it's quarter to eight, I don't think you can afford five more minutes, unless school starts at 9:00a…" Mari said.

"WHAT THE FUCK?! I'M GOING TO BE LATE!" Shinji sat bolt upright and looked around wildly at the clock and then at Mari then back to the clock. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" Shinji said. "Why didn't the alarm go off at 6:15 like always?!"

"I don't know about the alarm, but I've only been up five minutes, and three of those were to pee." Mari said.

"Three minutes… how big is your bladder?!" Shinji asked.

"I can hold in a lot, kid." Mari said proudly. "Comes in handy at the movies mostly. Now stop whining and start getting ready."

"Don't you have to get ready?" Shinji asked as he ran to his closet and grabbed a shirt and pants for school. "You're coming to school, right?"

Mari smiled. "Yeah, but I showered after you fell asleep last night, so I just have to get dressed and comb my hair. Why don't you go shower quick, and I'll make you some toast."

"Oh, god, I'm going to be late!" Shinji exclaimed.

Mari grabbed him by the arms, and looked at him. "Will you relax, Shinji, you won't be late." Mari said calmly.

"No, I'm going to be late… I missed yesterday already… I can't be…" Shinji stammered, but was cut off by what Mari did.

While he was frantically yelling b out being late, Mari decided the one way to calm him down would be to put him in shock. Sao Mari decided the best way to do that, was to kiss him. She held him in a light embrace and kissed him. He didn't react either way, but then he started kissing back! His body felt less tense and Mari pulled away slowly.

"How you feel now, Shinji?" Mari asked with a bright blush on her face. 'That was more fun than I thought it would be… although I feel bad for not asking first…'

"What was that for?" Shinji asked, also blushing heavily. 'Why did that feel so… nice?'

"Mostly for the fun day we had yesterday, letting me stay over, and being a complete gentleman." Mari replied. "And also to calm you down a bit. So do you feel calmer?"

"Yeah, I feel better… just a little light headed." Shinji said sheepishly. "Um, while I shower can you give Pen–Pen some fish in his bowl too, and a soda with a straw too?" Shinji asked. "And put a lot of butter on my toast, I really like butter."

"Sure, just go get ready, and relax." Mari said. "I'll have some nice buttery toast for you when you're dressed."

"Thanks, Mari." Shinji said.

While Shinji strolled to the shower, Mari calmly put some marble rye in the toaster and pulled out the butter. She found the package of four fish left in the fridge and plopped them in Pen–Pen's bowl. She then grabbed a Dr. Pepper from the fridge and popped it open. At the sound of the can hissing, Pen–Pen came out of his fridge and walked up to Mari.

"Oh, you heard the can, huh?" Mari asked him.

"Wark!" Pen–Pen replied happily.

Mari set the can with a straw down. "Here you go, eat up buddy."

Pen–Pen hugged Mari's leg and then began to eat his breakfast, perfectly content at the new person suddenly giving him food. Shinji's toast popped, and Mari buttered it heavily, put some toast in for herself, and left the plate and a soda on the table, and pulled out a soda for herself, but then decided to check the other fridge drawer, and was amazed and shocked at the sight.

'Man, with the amount of beer in that fridge, that Misato must be some kind of alcoholic.' Mari thought. 'I wonder if she'll notice if a beer is missing…' Mari smiled devilishly.

Mari took out a beer and opened it. She drank some, and remembered why she liked the stuff. "Nice and smooth." Mari said happily. "Totally worth the early morning buzz, Kyoko was so right about that, ah Germans and their beer…"

**_♪DING DONG♪_ **

"Who the hell would be coming here this early?" Mari said as she walked to the door. Mari pressed the button to open the door and was greeted by two smiling boy's faces and a scowling girl who looked angry at their idiocy.

"Good morning, Miss… hey you're not Misato!" The two boys said.

"Good, so Laurel and Hardy aren't blind then." Mari quipped. "How nice."

"Are we at the wrong apartment?" The boys asked.

"Depends on who you're looking for…" Mari responded.

Hikari spoke up. "We're looking for Shinji. But if you don't mind my asking, who exactly are you?"

"I'm Mari, nice to meet you." Mari replied. "I'm a friend of Shinji's. He's in the shower."

"Hi, I'm Hikari, the tall one is Toji, and the other one is Kensuke." Hikari replied. "But why are you here, where's Misato?"

"I guess she's out of town. Shinji was a little shy on the details last night." Mari said.

"Wait you were here, with Shinji… alone?" Toji asked.

"Like alone, alone?" Kensuke added for clarity.

'Oh, let's have some fun with the locals…' Mari thought. "Yeah, no big deal really. He's a wonderful guy, that Shinji."

"But why are you here?" Hikari asked.

"Shinji invited me over." Mari replied simply. "To stay the night."

"What…" Toji and Kensuke said, as they started leering at Mari's breasts.

"Hey, boys, those are for Shinji's eyes only." Mari said sternly. "My eyes are up on my face, not on my nipples."

"So you and Shinji were alone." Hikari said. "Aren't you two a little young for that sort of thing?"

"What sort of thing are you talking about, freckles?" Mari asked.

"I'm… not implying anything." Hikari said with a heavy blush.

"I doubt Shinji did anything, anyway, he's too much of a kid." Kensuke said.

"Yeah, you're probably right, Kensuke." Toji replied.

'Oh, this is going to be fun…' Mari thought. "Well, we did sleep together after all." Mari said truthfully.

"WHAT!?" The three of them shouted.

"You slept… together…" Hikari said weakly.

"Wow, Shinji really is a man." Toji exclaimed.

"I don't believe you." Kensuke said.

"You don't have to believe me, it happened." Mari said.

Shinji walked towards the door unaware of what was happening. He was chewing on a piece of toast. "Hey Mari, did the doorbell ring…." Shinji saw his friends in the doorway. "Oh, hey guys…"

"Shinji, what did you do?" Hikari said historically. "First you skip school to visit Sakura, and then you sleep with this girl you barely know!"

"Yeah, Shinji, nice job." Toji said.

"You actually slept with her?" Kensuke asked.

"Yeah, we slept together… what's the big deal?" Shinji asked.

"You're too young for that!" Hikari shouted.

Mari looked on and laughed. "What did you guys think I meant. We slept next to each other. Why were you perverts all thinking we had _sex_?" Mari cackled.

"Wait, you only slept _next_ to each other?" Hikari asked.

"Yes, why did you guys think it was sex?" Shinji asked incredulously. "I only met Mari yesterday… and if I invited her over for that, I'd have only been taking advantage of her!"

"Oh, Shinji, I knew you weren't like that…" Hikari muttered.

"Why not take advantage of a situation in your favor, Shinji?" Kensuke asked. "You have all that EVA pilot charm, just turn it on!"

"KENSUKE!" Hikari shouted. "How can you say that?!"

"Kensuke, easy buddy. He still slept next to the hot babe, let him have his baby steps." Toji said. "I get what you mean, though, Shinji, good on ya for being like that."

"Well, I doubt the EVA pilot charm would work on another pilot anyway." Mari said. "Although, he is really cute…"

"You're an EVA pilot?!" Kensuke said, his nose dripping blood.

"Yep, got into town yesterday, ran into Shinji, asked him to skip and show me around. We had a lot of fun." Mari explained. "We visited your sister, and then got dinner and came back here. I'm in your class too, so we'll be seeing plenty of each other."

"Do you have the uniform for the school?" Hikari asked. "Or do you need to order some."

"I'll need to go get some, yeah." Mari said. "I have my old uniform, which I'll go change into now, be right back."

Shinji stood with his three friends. Kensuke sulked out of the apartment quietly. "I just wanna make sure he's dealing with the shock ok." Toji said, following Kensuke outside.

"Shinji, what exactly happened last night between you tow?" Hikari asked.

"We slept next to each other. That's it Hikari." Shinji sad. "Her apartment wasn't ready, so I offered her a place to sleep. She asked me sleep next to her, but I didn't mind. She was very polite, and we… cuddled I guess."

"Shinji, are you two an item?" Hikari asked.

"No, we're just… friends." Shinji said. "We learned a lot about each other yesterday, and I really enjoy her company. She's really very sweet under all that teasing and sarcasm, a lot like me actually."

"Shinji, I just don't want you to get hurt." Hikari said worriedly.

"I won't Hikari, but thanks for being so concerned about me." Shinji hugged her.

"Did anything else happen?" Hikari asked sternly.

"Well, she kissed me this morning after I woke up." Shinji said, blushing heavily. "It was… really nice."

"Was that your first kiss?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, it was…" Shinji said quietly. "I enjoyed it. Just don't tell them, ok?"

"Sure." Hikari said hugging him tightly. "I'm glad you have a new friend, Shinji, and I'm glad you two get along so well."

"Thanks Hikari." Shinji said hugging her back.

Shinji and Hikari finished their embrace just as Mari came out all dressed. She was wearing her old uniform, carrying her backpack. "Shinji, can I leave the rest of my things here in your room?"

"Yeah, its fine." Shinji said. "I'll go tell them we're leaving."

"Sure, be right there, Shinji." Hikari said. "Hey, Mari, can I talk to you for a second."

"Sure, freckles." Mari said. "What's up?"

"I just want to tell you not to hurt Shinji, or to play any games with him." Hikari said sternly in a hushed voice. "Don't lead him on by kissing him or anything like that!"

"Ok, listen, I like Shinji a lot, but not like that, I don't think anyway." Mari explained. "And I was just thanking him for yesterday with the kiss, and also trying to calm down his hysterics about being late. Now, I assume he told you about the kiss?"

"Yeah, he did." Hikari said gruffly.

"I'm glad you're worried for him, Hikari. I really am, but I know what it's like to be hurt like that, and Shinji's suffered enough heartache in his life, I promise I won't add to it, ok?" Mari said. "I could never hurt someone as kind and wonderful as Shinji."

"I'm glad you said that." Hikari said happily. "Just understand that I really consider Shinji my closet friend, and I just don't want him to get hurt outside of the EVA if I can help it…"

"Hey, its ok, freckles." Mari said. "Now why don't we become good friends too?"

"Sure, but why are you calling me freckles exactly." Hikari said.

"Well, it's my nickname for you, silly." Mari said. "I give them to people I like to be around. Shinji's is puppy, but you can't call him that, got it?"

"Got it!" Hikari said smiling.

"Hey, are you to ready?" Shinji called from outside.

"Yeah, we're ready, let's book it to class!" Mari said cheerfully.

–––

As the main computer for the Jet Alone was booted up the morning of the test, its computer ran normally for a few seconds before a program activated, running thousands of lines of code, and locking out the main control system, only allowing initial inputs before shutting out all signals from the command bunker, and allowing the machine to run unchecked during the test. The screen went blank, and the status displays showed nothing wrong, even if something was gravely wrong indeed.

–––

In the control center for the Jet Alone, all the people that were invited were eagerly watching the main screen. Misato was in a bad mood because the test was at 8:00a in the morning, with a breakfast laid out after the test had been completed. On the screen, the large building they saw when they arrived split in tow and slid apart, revealing the Jet Alone. It was a misshapen monstrosity, with overly long arms, and misshapen legs. It looked as though it were some old sci–fi robot from a crappy movie in the 50s. It only looked humanoid in appearance, but didn't look anywhere near as threatening as an Evangelion did. It didn't even have a proper head. Just a glowing raised section that looked like a Cylon eye, mounted to the torso.

"We are ready to begin the Jet Alone activation test." Tokita announced.

"Don't worry folks, there's no risk at all." A technician said comfortingly.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable everyone, and observe through the observation window with the binoculars we've provided, or watch on the main screen." Tokita said.

People split into two groups, most opting to take the binoculars and watch live, while other decided to stare at the screen. However, Misato and Ritsuko stood against the wall, with their arms crossed.

"Amateurs…" Misato muttered. "No one cared when Unit–02, or Unit–00 as brought online. Let alone Unit–01."

"Oh, let them have their fun." Ritsuko said. "I doubt it will even be able to move."

"Ejecting standby power lines… batteries charged and on standby… main computer is online and responding normally." The technician reported. "Coolant system circulation is normal… servo motors and hydraulics activated… functioning normally… pre–launch check is green… all systems go."

"Release the control rods." Tokita ordered.

"Releasing control rods now… reactor is powering up… reactor is online… power levels optimal." The technician reported.

On the back of Jet Alone, six black rods extended outwards, making it appear slightly more imposing, even though the rods were wholly impractical for a combat robot, they were the heat sink for the massive robot's nuclear reactor.

Tokita stood ready. "Begin walk cycle."

"Walking forward ahead… slow… forward right leg." The technician reported. "Balance is nominal… reactor core status is nominal… forward left leg… slow, setting up cyclical repeat of walk cycle now."

Jet alone moved forward slowly and awkwardly.

Tokita smiled broadly as his creation move forward. 'It's working, and I came in second in my class, ha, beat that Akagi! What have you done, taken up all your mother's work after she died, at least I've created something on my own!' Tokita thought smugly.

"Oh, look, their little robot is walking. That's certainly something to be proud of." Misato said sarcastically. "Maybe they can use all this walking to trample the next Angel to death, maybe give Shinji a break for a change."

Ritsuko grumbled. "Shinji without his EVA would be more effective at attacking the next Angel than this piece of shit."

"Good one, Ritz." Misato said as she looked outside again.

A buzzer went off on the control panel. "What's wrong?" Tokita asked.

"This is odd, according to the reading, the pressure in the reactor is building up." The technician reported. "The coolant temperature is also increasing rapidly."

"Open the value, deploy the neutron regulation fluid." Tokita order.

"No effect sir." The technician reported. "The pump output isn't increasing at all… initiating value system check… system is normal sir."

"Alright, emergency stop." Tokita ordered. "Cut off the power, and eject the battery."

"Signal transmission confirmed… it's ignoring the signal… control rods are not retracting!" The technician reported. "The radio circuit is being blocked… Jet Alone is out of our control, sir!"

"No… this can't be happening…" Tokita said. "It's not possible, a computer listens to its commands, that's how it's designed…"

"It's coming right at us!" The technician shouted. "Everyone, get out of the way!"

Jet Alone continued its slow advance on the main building where the control center was. Its foot came crashing through the roof, crushing several people under the rubble in the process, leaving bloody streaks coming out from under the foot shaped pieces of concrete and rebar. It took only two steps to for Jet Alone to walk through the building.

Misato looked up to see the people she was standing next to under said foot shaped piece of rubble. "Well… that happened." Misato said. "Man, this robot is as badly behaved as the jackass who built it!"

Alarms bells began ringing throughout the complex.

"The control rods, still won't retract!" The technician reported. "Possibility of meltdown is imminent!"

"Impossible! The onboard computer system for the Jet Alone has been programmed to handle all possible contingencies and scenarios!" Tokita said incredulously. "This kind of thing simply cannot happen."

"Well you better believe it jackass." Misato shouted. "Otherwise you'll be dealing with an _impossible_ nuclear meltdown."

"Under the present circumstances, the only viable option is to wait for ti to stop itself." Tokita said.

"Is that before or after it explodes?" Misato asked.

"It will not explode!" Tokita shouted. "It's not possible!"

"Pull your head out of your ass and look in front of you, that thing is going to blow its load, I can hear the alarms you know!" Misato quipped. "So how likely is it that it will stop itself before its 150 days are up?"

"0.00002%, it would be an act of God!" The technician shouted.

"Acts of men are better than acts of God!" Misato said defiantly. "Tell me how to stop that thing, now!"

"We have tried every conceivable option, there is no way to stop it now!" Tokita shouted.

"There must be a way to wipe out the programming!" Misato said. "Any programmer worth their shit knows that!"

"I'm not authorized to give that information out to anyone from a competing agency." Tokita said smugly. "I will not let you destroy my machine! I will not let you destroy my life's work!"

'This may not be a part of the plan, but embarrassing him a bunch will make this far more enjoyable…' Ritsuko thought. "Shiro, don't be an arrogant shit, just tell her!" Ritsuko said.

"I won't!" Tokita said. "It's classified for a reason!"

"Well, maybe we should just hack your files like you apparently hacked NERVs." Ritsuko said.

"I did no such thing!" Tokita shouted.

Misato walked up to him and grabbed him by his shirt. "Then how did you find out about the A.T. Fields, asshole!" Misato shouted. "Well, how did you!"

"Fine, I did, I hacked the outer layer of the MAGI, and found some things out!" Tokita sounded scared. "I only took a peek to see what data you guys were hiding."

"You asshole!" Misato shook him some more. "Now listen up shit for brains, you're going to give me that code, and I'll forget you just said you hacking into our restricted files!"

"The code is _hope_." Tokita relented.

"Good boy." Misato let him go. "I'll handle this operation myself, and clean up your carelessness!"

"Ma'am." The technician said. "Once cut our transmission to Jet Alone, you'll be able to access the interior with the service hatch on the backpack. The computer will be in there, and you'll need a radiation suit. We'll get you one right away."

"Its projected course is Atsugi, ma'am." Another technician reported. "ETA is 137 minutes."

"Wonderful, a nice populated area…" Misato muttered.

"Misato how do you plan to get inside that thing?" Ritsuko shouted.

"I'll just have Unit–01 brought out specially." Misato replied, smiling broadly. "Get our VTOL ready, and Ritsuko stay here to monitor everything and keep me updated, I'll call Hyuga on the way to Tokyo–3 with my plan…"

–––

While the happy group of five approached the school, and they could just see it a block away, two black SUVs pulled up at high speed. Out of the car stepped several Section 2 Agents, three of which Shinji recognized.

"Agent Smith, Agent Smith and of course, Agent Smith…" Shinji said. "What do you want? Come to darken my door step again have you?"

"Pilot Ikari, we need you to come with us to the airport, per Major Katsuragi's orders." Agent Smith replied. "It is a national security matter we cannot discuss here."

"Fine." Shinji said. "I'll see you guys later."

"I'm coming with you." Mari said. "As your backup, that's what I'm here for, after all."

"Miss, you can't come along, only NERV personnel…" Agent Smith started.

"Hey, asshole, she's an EVA pilot." Shinji said angrily. "You must be too busy following me around to keep up on things. Either we both go, or neither of us go." Shinji looked him right in the sunglasses. "So, do you want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

"Fine, she may accompany you." Agent Smith relented. "But if you're lying, there will be consequences, Ikari."

"Blow me, pal." Shinji said as he flipped him off. "Come on, Mari. We have to go. It's an emergency after all, just like always…"

Mari looked at Shinji in shock. "Sure…" Mari got into the SUV very nervously. 'Wow, he does stand up for others, just not himself… we'll have to work on that…'

"Hey, Mari, don't worry, just look at me while we're in the car, ok?" Shinji said kindly behind her. "I'll even hold your hand if that'll help."

"Yeah…" Mari said nervously as she shut her eyes. "Sure…"

"Bye guys!" Shinji said. "Sorry, Hikari, but at least I have an excuse for not coming in today!"

"It's ok Shinji, see you later!" Hikari shouted. "Just be careful."

"Don't scratch the EVA's paint, Shinji." Kensuke pleaded.

"Yeah, and show the enemy who's your bitch!" Toji shouted.

As the SUV pulled away, Mari cracked her eyes open to see Shinji looking right at her.

"You ok, Mari?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, just a little jumpy, that's all." Mari said. "So what was the thing with the man in black there, you know him?"

"Yeah, it's a long story." Shinji said.

"Well, tell me, it'll take my mind off the ride." Mari said nervously.

"Sure." Shinji replied happily.

–––

A large flying wing was taking off from the military base near Tokyo–3. Its cargo was Unit–01, equipped with a long duration battery in its back where a power cord should be, allowing 10 extra minutes of power. Inside the aircraft, Hyuga was piloting while Misato briefed Shinji, who was in his plugsuit, and Mari on what was going on.

"Wait, you're going into a radiation filled robot while Shinji her holds it back from charging into Atsugi?" Mari asked.

"Pretty much yeah." Misato said. "I'm glad you came a long Mari, but it wasn't necessary. I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but welcome to NERV anyhow." Misato turned to Shinji. "So, are you ready?"

"Yeah, but you could get hurt!" Shinji said.

"Shinji, you know by now that pain is a part of our unfortunate jobs." Misato said.

"I know, I just don't want to lose you…" Shinji muttered.

"Shinji, you're so sweet to everyone!" Mari exclaimed. "Just go out there and fight, protect your sensei from Atsugi, the one your father left you with."

"Yeah…" Shinji said. "But Misato, promise you'll be careful."

"As careful as I can be dropping out of the sky in Unit–01's hand." Misato joked.

Misato went out back after putting her helmet on and clambered into Unit–01's hand. Mari held Shinji back for a second.

"Hey, Shinji, just be careful, ok?" Mari said. "Keep that nutbag of a guardian of yours safe."

"I will, don't worry." Shinji said.

Mari kissed Shinji lightly on the cheek. "That's for luck Shinji, I hope you don't need it."

Shinji blushed profusely as Hyuga chuckled to himself. "Thanks, Mari."

Shinji climbed into Unit–01 and inserted the Entry Plug himself, activating the docked Evangelion.

'Keep him safe, Yui…' Mari thought.

"Unit–01… LAUNCH!" Misato ordered.

The rack holding Unit–01 slid out behind the plane, holding the multi–ton monster over the ground. Unit–01 slid out of the restraint rack holding it in place, and fell to earth in a free fall from 10,000 feet. Near the ground Shinji activated the retro rockets in the shoulder pylons and skidded gracefully onto the ground. He brought Unit–01 into a full standing position, and ran towards Jet Alone, being careful to not buck Misato out of his hand. As Shinji caught up to Jet Alone, he saw a docking handle on its backpack. Shinji reached out and grabbed it, digging Unit–01 feet into the ground. Shinji slowed it down enough to gently place Misato on it, and she opened the hatch and clambered inside.

"Talk about a hot and heavy situation." Misato quipped as she disappeared inside.

Shinji let go of Jet Alone, and decided for a head on approach. "Oh no you don't you ugly bastard." Shinji shouted. Unit–01 extended its hands to stop Jet Alone in its tracks. He was able to hold it in place quite easily, but as he did so, steam started emitting from the cracks in the armor as it walked in place while Shinji held it still. "Misato, you better hurry up!"

Inside the robot, Misato found the computer room bathed in a red glow, and walked over to the console. She turned it on, and entered the code to wipe it clean. But it didn't work.

"What the fuck do you mean, error?!" Misato shouted. "The program's been altered, no wonder it stopped responding!" Misato looked worried. "I guess I have to try and push these stupid things in myself… talk about a longshot!"

Misato walked over to the control rods, and began pushing as hard as she could. With some serious and strenuous effort, she was able to start moving one inward, just as the reactor was about to go critical. Just as that happened, the computer came online and blew up, wiping out all the controls, and activating an emergency reactor shutdown. Misato fell to the ground hard as the room became bathed in a green light. The heat sink sunk back into the back of Jet Alone, and the robot shut down, and topped over from the force of Shinji pushing against it.

" _Misato, you did it! It shut down!_ " Shinji shouted. " _Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?_ "

"Yeah, I'm fine, Shinji." Misato replied. "Not in the greatest of shape however, I need a beer, or six."

" _I'm so glad you're ok, and that you were able to stop this thing!_ " Shinji said excitedly. " _It's a miracle!_ "

"Yeah…" Misato muttered. 'But this miracle was manufactured by someone…' Misato thought. 'But who would set up something as dangerous as this?'

–––

Ritsuko and Yamada entered Gendo's office, seeing him waiting expectantly at his desk, is hands folded neatly in front of his face.

"How did everything go, Dr. Akagi?" Gendo asked.

"Other than Misato's interference, everything went according to plan, Commander." Ritsuko replied.

"And was Unit–01 damaged at all with her little stunt?" Gendo asked.

"I couldn't find anything wrong with it. No damage to speak of, and negligible amounts of radiation were detected." Ritsuko reported. "Unit–01 is back in the Cage and is ready for the next Angel."

"Excellent, and how is Tokita and Japan Heavy Chemical Industries taking the failure of the test, Yamada?" Gendo asked.

"Not very well." Yamada said. "Apparently, Tokita has hidden himself away with the design plans for the Jet Alone, and refusing to speak to the press, while the stock dropped so quickly for the company, they suspended trading. It was wonderful sir. The U.N. announced that the Jet Alone funding was being transferred to NERV to be put to use actually protecting the planet with working weapons."

Ritsuko laughed. "It also didn't help their funding to have over 30 people killed by a rampaging robot crushing them to death."

"Good work, the both of you." Gendo said. "This should stifle any other projects out there to challenge the Evangelion's supremacy to deal with the Angels."

* * *

August 24, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

The next few days had gone back to normal, Shinji woke up and Misato was always cranky and tired when she awoke, not waking up until she had at least one beer. Shinji became really bothered by the fact she had been so careless and almost died needlessly inside the Jet Alone, which she classes as "no big deal" but Monday morning, when Shinji heard the door bell, he rushed out, shouting a terse "I'm taking off!" to Misato, as he left for school with Mari, Toji, Kensuke and Hikari.

"Hey, Shinji, what bugging you?" Mari asked.

"Just Misato…" Shinji said.

"What's wrong with her, she such a cool chick?!" Toji said.

"I used to think so too, but she's noting but a lazy, unmotivated slob!" Shinji exclaimed angrily. "She just lays around and expects me to do everything!"

"Hey, Shinji, just relax, ok?" Hikari said kindly. "I think you're over reacting a bit."

"Not really, she doesn't even get up early or offer to make breakfast, she always shirks her chores!" Shinji exclaimed. "I'm surprises she's so together at work, it's almost unfathomable! It's so embarrassing, even if she doesn't think so!"

"Hey, Shinji have you even realized how luck you are?" Kensuke asked.

"Lucky to live with a slob?" Shinji asked.

"No, numbskull." Kensuke replied. "Lucky that you get to see the true side of her she doesn't allow anyone else to see. That only something you show those you care about deeply, like how a family is."

'Family…' Shinji thought as he looked at Kensuke. "You really think so?"

"Yeah, she thinks of you as family, Shinji." Kensuke replied. "It means she really cares about you."

The rest of the walk to school was quiet, as Shinji smiled the whole way there.

–––

On the walk into the classroom, Mari followed close behind Shinji.

"So, you finally got the right uniform on?" Shinji asked as they walked away from the shoe, lockers.

"Yeah, Hikari told me where to get it." Mari said. "I look cute, don't I?"

"Of course you do." Shinji said kindly. "And you fill out the shirt pretty well too."

"Shinji, you really know how to compliment a lady!" Mari exclaimed.

When they got to the classroom, Mari looked around and saw Rei looking at Shinji.

Mari's heart skipped several beats when she saw Rei. 'Yui… is that you?' Mari poked Shinji in the back and whispered. "Hey, Shinji, who's the blueberry over there eyeing you?"

"Really, a name from her hair color, Mari…" Shinji quipped.

"I nicknamed Hikari, freckles too, so sue me." Mari said back. "So, who is she?"

"Oh, that's just Rei, the other EVA pilot I told you about." Shinji said brightly. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

"Sure…" Mari said uneasily. 'Why does she look like Yui… that wasn't in the professor's files? I think he's hiding something from me… but what exactly is the question?'

"Good morning Rei!" Shinji said.

"Hello, Ikari… Shinji… sorry." Rei said.

"It's ok, Rei, how are you?" Shinji asked.

"I was… concerned I think… if you were ok." Rei said. "Last week you missed two days of school, and then Unit–01 was deployed for a situation not involving an Angel…"

"Oh, well, that a long story, maybe I'll tell you at lunch." Shinji replied.

"Who is the girl behind you, she is looking at me quite… strangely." Rei asked.

"Oh, that's the new EVA pilot, Mari Makinami." Shinji said. "Mari, this is Rei, say hello Mari."

"Hello, Mari." Mari said in utter confusion. 'The resemblance is remarkable, like she's a clone… which with Kyoko's technology is entirely possible to create… did Gendo try to bring her back before and not tell anyone? I mean, what the literal fuck?!' Mari thought frantically. 'She has Yui's eyes, even in crimson, I would recognize those kind and beautiful eyes of hers, and her cent… it's the same too… this is beyond Twilight Zone right now… I don't smell toast, so it's not a stroke… I just need to relax…'

"Is she always this… odd?" Rei asked. 'Why does this girl seem familiar in some way? I do not know her, yet some part of me recognizes… something about her…' Rei thought.

"I'm not sure, I've only known her three days…" Shinji said exasperatedly. "Mari, stop kidding around!" Shinji exclaimed.

"Sorry, puppy." Mari said. "I was thinking about the other day, with that robot."

"Oh, well, say hello property, Mari." Shinji said.

"Hi, there, I'm Mari Illustrious Makinami, it's a pleasure to meet you." Mari said as happily as she could.

'Mari…' Rei thought. 'So familiar… yet I don't know her…' Rei looked at Mari and kept her poker face on. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, pilot Makinami."

"Hey, don't call me that, we're comrades, call me Mari." Mari said sweetly.

"That is acceptable, I will call you Mari." Rei said.

"Good, but I'd like to call you blueberry." Mari said. "It's a thing I do."

"Why?" Rei asked. "I am not a fruit."

"Rei, Mari likes nicknaming people she likes." Shinji explained. "She calls me puppy a lot, you'll get used to it."

"Well, then if Shinji has a nickname, than it is more than acceptable." Rei replied. "I assume my nickname has something to do with my hair?"

"Yeah." Mari said. "It's a cute color, it really brings out your eyes…" Mari said.

Rei felt her face get warm. 'Did I just react to her words the way I react when Shinji holds my hand?' Rei thought. 'What are these feelings of mine? Why must they pester me now… do I now have to deal with feelings about two people? This is far too much for me…' Rei looked at Mari trying to keep her composure. "I appreciate the compliment, Mari."

"I'm glad!" Mari said excitedly.

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

Hikari stood up and leered at the class. "Rise… Bow… Sit!" Hikari commanded as Nebukawa no Sensei walked in

"Ah, so we have a new a new student among us today." Nebukawa no Sensei said as he got the roster. "Please come up and introduce yourself, miss."

"Thank you, sir." Mari said as she got up to the board. "Hi there everyone! My name is Mari Illustrious Makinami! I just moved back to Japan from the U.K. I was sick for a while back there with Mono, but now that I'm healthy again, I decided to come back home, and get back into school. I'm really friendly, and outgoing, and I've really missed Japan, and so far, thanks to my new friends Shinji, Hikari, Toji and Kensuke over there, I feel very welcome. It's a pleasure to meet you all!"

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

As for the songs used in this chapter, I don't own them either, and they're listed below in order of appearance:  
Demi Lovato – _Cool for the Summer_ (2015)  
The Calling – _Wherever You Will Go_ (2001)

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 47.2% (+0.7%)  
Asuka – 38.0% (No Change)  
Rei – 29.3% (+4.5%)  
Mari – Pending

So, this chapter is based on Episode 7 of the anime, if you couldn't already tell. I chose the Jet Alone episode for Mari's arrival, as it was a good filler, and Jet Alone will play a part later in the story, after the incident portrayed here.

The chapter title comes from the title of the 1986 film, " _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_ " starring Matthew Broderick, which is why I decided to use a "Ferris Wheel" instead of doing the rollcall scene in the school that the film made famous. No matter how funny it would have been, the chapter was long enough as it was.

Mari is in town, and is here to stay! I know it's not Mari's usual fair to meet anyone under normal circumstances, and considering her boob filled introduction to Shinji in 2.22, this is quite tame overall. But I wanted them to get to know each other somewhat normally, and considering they sleep in the same bed after just meeting, that's certainly not normal either. But he still got a face full of tits, and Mari nicknames him appropriately.

Mari is a very convincing person, and can make Shinji do anything she asks by either teasing him, or pointing out that it will be "fun" even though some of the stuff she does for her own amusement, she really was scared of being alone on her first night in Tokyo–3, and Shinji was kind enough to relent and share the bed with her at her suggestion. This little trick of hers will be play a large role later on in the story as well.

Mari's nicknames for Hikari and Shinji of course are quite obvious. She references his puppy dog looks, and Hikari's freckles, while Rei's is cuter than anything else, naming her blueberry because of her hair. Toji and Kensuke on the other hand, are nicknamed Laurel and Hardy based on the comedy duo of the same name, with Toji being Laurel, and Kensuke being Hardy.

Now that Mari is here, things will begin to change from canon rapidly (other than the order of the Angels from the show of course), and the next chapter will reintroduce Shinji and the fiery German soul, with the heart of a fighter, Asuka Langley Soryu. They will meet up on the U.N.V. _Over the Rainbow_ , formally known as the U.S.S. _Harry S. Truman_ , or the same ship (and captain) that rescued Misato from the remnants of Antarctica 15 years ago.

So, the person on the phone, Agent Yamato Yamada, a man of many mysteries. He works for Gendo in a capacity similar to Kaji, but he is completely loyal to Gendo and just as evil as he is loyal, capable of many atrocities that Gendo sends him out to accomplish. In addition to the redacted paper files he delivered, the digital files he delivered to the Japan Heavy Chemical Industries had a virus on them that worked its way into the Jet Alone. Ritsuko had a micro transmitter that would activate the virus, causing a near meltdown of Jet Alone, and leaving Shiro Tokita (known to many as the Jet Alone Guy), as Sonny Corleone from the Godfather would say, with "…nothing but his dick in his hands."

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	8. Deep Blue Sea; Gaghiel Surfaces

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode IV: The Last Hope

* * *

Chapter 8 – Deep Blue Sea; Gaghiel Surfaces  
August 28, 2015 – Tokyo–3

School had just gotten out and the gang was heading to Misato's house, as Shinji, Mari and Rei had been called there, Toji, Kensuke, and Hikari decided to follow them and see if it was anything important.

"Shinji… I have never visited someone else's dwelling." Rei said.

"Oh, really?" Shinji asked. "Why haven't you visited anyone's house?"

"Well, I have never really had any friends before, so I have never had a need to visit anyone." Rei explained. "Until I became friends with you and everyone else, I was quite… content to be alone."

'Jesus, what has Rei been through exactly? It's like her story just gets sadder and sadder, almost like some sort of depressing Russian Doll…' Mari had tears in her eyes. "Oh, blueberry, that's so sad. No one should like being alone."

"Mari, it was not about like or dislike, it was simply that I had nothing else, I was alone, and I had accepted that." Rei stated plainly. "I still like being on my own for the quiet, and with time… I will be more comfortable around people."

"Well, we don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to, Rei." Hikari said kindly.

"Yeah, if you need a break from us, just let us know!" Toji said. "I know Kensuke over hear can be super annoying."

"Hey?!" Kensuke shouted indignantly. "You're kind of annoying too, Toji!"

"What?!" Toji shouted. "You got some nerve saying that to me!"

Shinji and Hikari rolled their eyes and sighed, and Mari giggled. "Why are they fighting, are friends supposed to do that?" Rei asked.

"Well, sometimes buffoons like to argue." Hikari explained. "It makes them _feel_ manly."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." Mari quipped. "Perhaps a bit more vulgar than that, but the point would be the same."

"Perhaps you'd be more vulgar?" Shinji asked sarcastically. "Your last comment at lunch about how hentai is really funny sometimes almost made Hikari faint."

"But it can be, especially if the dialogue is like some 70s porn flick." Mari said back.

"What exactly is porn and hentai?" Rei asked innocently. "I see that Hikari is very shocked by these words, and that at the thought, Kensuke and Toji seem to get small nosebleeds. Why is it such a reactionary word?"

Shinji and Hikari exchanged a look, and Shinji covered Mari's mouth before she could say anything. "Mari, Rei's innocent, don't try and pollute her mind, then I'll… why did you lick my hand?!"

"Because, you're supposed to ask permission before you do that." Mari said. "And I thought it would be funny."

Hikari started to giggle. "Mari, that was really funny…"

"Thanks, freckles, you never compliment my work." Mari mock bowed. "I'm honored."

"So, what is porn and hentai exactly?" Rei asked again.

Mari spoke up before either Hikari or Shinji could answer the question. "Well, porn is a general term for any erotic images or videos depicting sexual acts. These don't all follow strict male and female guidelines either. Hentai, is a more specific form of drawn erotic images depicting sexual situations, which can also be quite fantastical, because there are no limits on what can be drawn."

"Oh, so there are just erotic materials." Rei said. "That explains Toji and Kensuke's reactions, however, biologically, how they get nosebleeds when blood should be rushing elsewhere escapes me…"

Shinji and Mari burst out laughing while Hikari went slack jawed, and Toji almost fell over. "Rei… what are you talking about?" Kensuke asked.

"The biological reaction of arousal in the human male phallus." Rei explained. "The blood does rush to it, does it not? I doubt the biology books I have read would be incorrect."

"Yes… but… you read that… in a book?" Kensuke stuttered.

"Yes, it was quite informative, although it simply wanted to learn which muscles I had strained during physical training, I read the whole book and learned quite a lot about the human body." Rei explained. "Did you now that the human reproductive organs start out in the fetus as the same material, and develop different depending on the 23rd chromosome pair? I found that quite fascinating."

Everyone was speechless.

"Talk about something interesting." Shinji said nervously. "But… why don't we talk about something else?"

"I did not say anything offensive, did I?" Rei asked. "That was not my intention."

Mari smiled. "No blueberry, you just know more about sex apparently than the rest of us."

–––

The gang arrived at Misato's apartment in relative silence, and went inside, still shocked that Rei knew so much about the human body. The silence was something that Misato noticed when they arrived, and she decided to jump on it.

"Hey everybody! Did something happen?" Misato asked. "Usually you guys come here all loud and smiley."

"Nothing, just a long day at school." Shinji fibbed.

"No, long days at school usually lead to those tow to complain loudly, not to mention Mari over here." Misato said sternly.

"Really, Misato, we had a really long day, and you're questioning that?" Mari asked. "You're pretty thick for someone so good at using combat tactics."

"I am _not_ thick!" Misato shouted. "And don't change the subject!"

"I wasn't, I was just saying that our safety as a society is in danger if you question your ward about having a long day at school." Mari said. "I hope the next Angel doesn't tell you to attack it, otherwise you may rethink your battle strategy."

"Mari, shut up!" Misato fumed.

"See, so temperamental, it's sad." Mari joked. "The lives of all of humanity lay in the hands of an irritable and irrational person. We're all literally going to die."

"Mari!" Misato shouted threateningly. "Shut it!"

"Hey, Misato, be nice." Shinji said.

"She's being mean to me!" Misato exclaimed.

"You're the adult here, Misato." Shinji said. "Act like one."

"Fine…" Misato said. "So, I'm glad your friends followed you here Shinji, cause I'd like to ask them something."

"What, Miss Misato?" Toji asked.

"Well, the new pilot is coming in from Germany tomorrow, and I've been ordered to bring Shinji along to meet with her, as he's the senior pilot." Misato explained. "We're taking a helicopter transport, bringing the Evangelion's power cables for Unit–02 in case there is an issue. So I was wondering if Kensuke, Toji, and Hikari would like to come with us."

"Of course!" Toji and Kensuke exclaimed.

"Well… I don't know…" Hikari said, rubbing her foot awkwardly on the ground.

"Well, I got your dad's permission, for all three of you." Misato said. "They were more than happy to let you go along, seeing as Shinji is with you."

"Wait, our parents know?" Hikari said. "And my dad said it was ok?"

"Yeah, he thought it would be nice if you took a day away from school." Misato said. "He actually said you should try and have more fun."

"Come, on Hikari, it'll be fun!" Shinji said. "You can miss one day. Nothing will happen in your absence."

"Yeah, you need to have some fun, Hikari!" Toji said. "Don't be worried, we'll have Shinji the Ace Pilot with us!"

"Alright… I guess so." Hikari said. "If my dad said it was ok, it might be kind of fun…"

"Great! So you three, go pack a bag, then come back here, and you can stay the night. We leave early tomorrow, which sucks, but it'll be a wonderful ride!" Misato said. ""

"So, do I get to come?" Mari asked.

"No, Mari, you're the backup pilot, so you'll be on call in Unit–01, seeing as Unit–00 is nearing completion, you're in the hot seat in case of an emergency."

"This blows…" Mari muttered.

"And why did you call me here, Major?" Rei asked.

"To tell you a reactivation test is scheduled three weeks from now. Unit–00 has been upgraded for combat and has production type armor, like Unit–02 has. The armor just needs to be finished, but the physical repairs of Unit–00 have been mostly finished, so it'll be ready soon." Misato said. "But Ritsuko wants to know what color you'd like Unit–00's new armor to be. She said it should be up to you."

"Oh…" Rei said. "Well I believe steel blue would be an appropriate color. I think it will look quite… nice."

"That's your color choice?" Misato asked.

"Yes, I never liked the orange, it looked… unpleasant." Rei explained.

"Oh…" Misato said. "Just give the color to Ritsuko tomorrow, and they can start painting the EVA to suit you."

"Understood, Major." Rei said.

"Alright, so we'll be back in an hour or so." Kensuke said. "Come on you two, let's go pack! We get to see another Evangelion!"

"Oh boy, he's gonna pass out from the loss of blood flow to his head." Toji muttered. "Later, Ikari."

"Bye, Shinji, see you soon." Hikari said, waiving as she left.

"Shinji, you should pack too, just an overnight bag, nothing fancy." Misato said as she walked to room. "I have to pack too, so I'll see you in a little while"

"Alright." Shinji said, wandering towards his room. "Hey, guys come on, we can talk while I pack." Mari followed Shinji, but Rei stood there.

"Rei, what's wrong?" Shinji asked.

"Is it appropriate to invite me to your room, Shinji?" Rei asked.

"Well, considering how we met, I think it'll be fine." Shinji said.

"I thought you would not discuss that again." Rei said. "That was your wish anyway."

Shinji smiled. "Well, after meeting Mari, it's actually more of a funny story than an embarrassing one."

"This sounds juicy." Mari whispered. "How did you meet, exactly?"

"We'll tell you inside." Shinji muttered glancing at Misato's room.

"Oooh, must be a good story then." Mari purred.

"It is, Mari." Rei replied. "You may find it intriguing."

–––

Asuka and Kaji were on the flight deck of the _Over the Rainbow_ , looking up at the stars in silence. Kaji stared blankly upwards, thinking of something other than the beautiful site above him, while Asuka simply kept looking over at Kaji, and decided to break the silence.

"So, I guess by this time tomorrow, we'll be in Japan." Asuka sighed. "Misato said she'd pick me up by lunch…" Asuka looked over at the unresponsive Kaji. "Oh… Misato was the person in charge of me before _you_ , Kaji… I don't like her much though, she just so… affected in the way she lives." Asuka looked over and saw Kaji was still staring blankly at the sky. "So, I guess this will be goodbye for a while…"

'Misato…' Kaji thought. 'I guess we'll be seeing a bit more of each other again… I wonder if I can find the time to tell her I forgive her… but how do I begin after not seeing her for so long… how do we begin again…'

Asuka huffed. "That's so boring…"

Kaji smiled, after he processed what Asuka had said. "Oh, Asuka, I'm sure you'll make plenty of boyfriends once you get to japan, Asuka." Kaji smiled. "And let's not forget the Third Child is a boy too, I'm sure you two will get along swimmingly."

Asuka yawned. "I'm not interested in _children_." Asuka said, giving Kaji a sideways glance before happily rolling over on top of Kaji and giving him a big hug. "You're the only one I love, Kaji…"

Kaji sighed. "Well… that's quite an honor." Kaji said. "But aren't I a little old for you, Asuka? Wouldn't someone your own age be far more appropriate?"

"I mean it Kaji, I really do! You're so mature, just like me!" Asuka exclaimed. "If I'm with you Kaji, everything adults do is totally ok! Kissing and everything that comes after that even!"

"Asuka, if you can't use the word sex when talking about it, you're not ready for it." Kaji said softly. "And you may be mature for your age, but you're still a child, the stuff you're talking about can wait until you're a little older, with someone your own age."

Asuka's face fell. "But… why?!" Asuka whined. "Can't you see I'm grown up enough?!" Asuka screamed as she ripped her shirt open, revealing her lacy bra and supple breasts. "I am an adult Kaji! Just look at me and tell me different! Look at me Kaji!"

Kaji sighed deeply and returned Asuka's hug. "Stop yelling Asuka, I can see you just fine." Kaji said as he gently moved off of him He reached over for his jacket and wrapped it snuggly around Asuka's shoulders, covering her back up. "Asuka I want you to listen to what I'm about to tell you, ok?" Kaji asked.

"But…" Asuka whined.

"No buts, Asuka!" Kaji said sternly. "This is very important."

"Fine…" Asuka huffed.

"Now, Asuka, I appreciate the affection you show." Kaji explained. "I think it's cute and endearing. But Asuka, you have to understand, I'm far older than you, and as nice as you are, you're not my type. Teenage girls are not my thing. They haven't been _since I was_ an actual teenager."

"But, Kaji!" Asuka shouted. "I'm an adult!"

"No, Asuka, you're not!" Kaji said roughly. "You're a 13 year old girl. As mature as you can be at times, you can still act like a petulant child at others. I don't want to say this to hurt you, Asuka, I want to tell you so you'll go out and find someone your age to make you as happy as you claim I make you."

"But, Kaji, why?!" Asuka demanded. "Why can't you love me?! Age is just a number!"

"Asuka!" Kaji shouted, stunning Asuka into silence. "I love someone else already, someone I lost a long time ago, and someone I still haven't gotten over, and most likely never will. I'm sorry Asuka, but my heart is already taken." Kaji decided to hedge his bets. "If you are as mature as you say you are, you'll understand that and move on."

'Kaji in love… with some else? Is she dead? I shouldn't ask… I've said enough stupid stuff already…' Asuka thought. "Kaji… I'm sorry, I… I didn't know." Asuka said. "But you've always been so nice to me. That means you love me, right?"

"Asuka, of course you wouldn't know I love someone else, it's not a subject I enjoy talking about." Kaji smiled. "But, Asuka, I care very deeply for you, like that daughter I never got to have." Kaji said. "But I think you've been confusing my kindness for love. It's understandable, the way your father treated you, it's actually almost expected, come to think of it. The first man to show you kindness should be your father, not your guardian. It's quite sad, but I don't want you to think I don't care about you. I do, I just don't love you the way you want me to, and I can't. Do you understand?"

"Yes…" Asuka said sadly. "But Kaji… if I meet another boy, how will I get over them being such a child?" Asuka asked.

"Asuka… not all boys are immature, there's someone out there for you." Kaji said. "You're a nice girl Asuka, when you want to be. You'll find someone, I know you will." Kaji smiled broadly. "I heard the Third Child is fairly mature, maybe you can try to date him. I hear he's still a bachelor…"

"Kaji!" Asuka exclaimed. "Are you trying to set me up on a blind date?"

"Well maybe…" Kaji said with a sly grin. "Didn't this Misato mention she was bringing the Third Child along with her tomorrow?" Kaji asked.

"No… she didn't mention…" Asuka mumbled.

'Same old Misato, always leaving out the important details…' Kaji thought. "Well according to HQ, she's bringing the Third Child along, and leaving the other two pilots in Tokyo–3."

"Why is she bringing him?" Asuka asked. "Without his EVA he isn't very special."

"Asuka, he's the senior pilot." Kaji said. "He's faced three Angels in four engagements, and killed them all. Maybe she thinks it would be a good way to get you acclimated to being part of a group now."

"But I should be in charge!" Asuka said. "I'm the best pilot!"

"Asuka, as good as you are with your sync tests and combat skills in the simulator…" Kaji said kindly. "You're unproven in battle. Until you fight and kill an Angel, you won't be queen of the hill."

"But… Kaji…" Asuka moaned.

"Asuka, you're an _adult_." Kaji said. "The truth hurts sometimes, but it's something you have to deal with as an _adult_."

"Kaji, are you mocking me?" Asuka asked angrily.

"A little." Kaji said. "But as your friend Asuka, I'm allowed to do that. As long as we're still friends of course?"

"Yes, Kaji, we're still friends…" Asuka said. "So, I'll meet this Third Child tomorrow then?"

"Yes, he'll be here tomorrow morning sometime." Kaji replied. "Maybe you should dress up nice for his arrival, and greet him as the classy lady you are." Kaji joked. "But, to look beautiful for your future boyfriend, you should go get some beauty sleep, as tomorrow might be a long day."

"Kaji, you're being awfully presumptuous. I may not even like Mr. Ace Pilot." Asuka said defiantly. "But I'll go to bed because I do need to look beautiful, as always." Asuka pecked Kaji on the cheek. "Goodnight, Mr. Kaji."

"Goodnight, Asuka." Kaji replied. "Sweet dreams."

As Asuka walked away, she got to thinking. 'But how will I ever admit I like someone? It took all my courage to tell Kaji…' Asuka thought as she walked away. 'I feel like such a fool for telling Kaji and being rejected like that. I know he was trying to be nice, but I was so stupid for dealing with my feelings again. I should just follow what I said I'd do when I was younger. Adults ignore their feelings, and so should I! But… I have trouble admitting my feelings… maybe I should just not mention them again, and let the boy do all the work. Real men will take what they want, and Kaji doesn't want me… so I need to find someone who will.' Asuka huffed deeply. 'But do I, the great Asuka Langley, actually need anyone? I've been fine on my own for so long, maybe being alone for me is fine. I did promise myself I'd be fine on my own… I actually enjoy being alone unless I'm with Mr. Kaji… and I don't understand why…' Asuka looked back at Kaji laying there on his own. 'I wound have been great being with Kaji, I just can't see myself with anyone else. But I do wonder who he's in love with. She must be beautiful… otherwise he'd have picked me.' Asuka scratched her head. 'I wonder how this Third Child is, is he as skilled as Kaji claims him to be. He might have killed three Angels, but I doubt they were that tough. They didn't run in fear like they would against me. I'll show him who the best pilot is, I just need an Angel to do it.'

Kaji continued laying there on the blanket as Asuka went to bed. He was deep in thought as to what was going to happen the next day. 'Ah… Misato. It's been over seven years…' Kaji thought. 'I can't wait to see you again, even if you may still hate me, I don't hate you anymore. I just want you to know that, but I know you won't listen, you're stubborn and pigheaded, and I love that about you. You lied to me about cheating on me for some reason, and I don't care about that, I just want you back…' Kaji wiped a tear from his eye. 'If you could only see how much you still affect me, you'd know I never stopped loving you…' Kaji cracked his neck. 'But I wonder if Asuka can find love. I hope she can… if anyone deserves to be happy it's her, or maybe Shinji, from all the data I've gathered. Do they know they've met before? I should've told her his name… then I would've been able to tell…' Kaji thought. 'I doubt she does though, 11 years is a long time to remember someone you met once. And after she found her mother lying in a pool of her own blood will push out any childhood friendship from anyone's head. Maybe having Asuka and Shinji meet will jog her memory of their first meeting.' Kaji thought. 'He was the first man to show her kindness, maybe seeing him again will bring all that to light.' Kaji thought. 'I hope for her sake anyway.'

* * *

August 29, 2015 – Pacific Ocean, U.N. Pacific Fleet Flagship, U.N.V. _Over the Rainbow_

Asuka was standing on the rail on the conning tower of above the flight deck. She could see a slow moving helicopter carrying a large cargo crate approaching from the Northeast. Asuka was wearing a yellow sundress with small bows on the shoulders, the dress was a much brighter yellow than the helicopter thankfully. She also wore a blue choker, and red shoes. She smiled as she noticed the helicopter approaching the ship she was standing on.

"So, here you are, Third Child." Asuka said proudly. "I can't wait to meet you."

Meanwhile below deck in his quarters, Kaji was securing a special package for delivery. Inside of a lead lined suitcase was an orange, semi–transparent, oblong container with rounded corners containing an embryo. Adam. Kaji was just making sure it was where he left it, as it had almost cost him his life.

"So little guy, you're still here." Kaji said. "I almost got killed for you, so you must be pretty important to Ikari if he wanted me to risk life and limb to get it from that storage facility of Keel's." Kaji looked at it again. "I'll just have to ask him what you are exactly, and why he needed you." Kaji mused aloud. "Perhaps he'll tell me. The fool thinks I work under his thumb, all three of my employers do." Kaji chuckled. "I only work for myself, to find the whole truth behind Second Impact, and to bring those who brought it about to justice. It's all for Taichi… to atone for my sins… to atone for killing my brother…"

–––

Seeing as Shinji was away, and she was on call, Mari had arrived at NERV HQ quietly and was wandering around, looking for the Cage where Unit–01 was being stored. When she found it, she wandered inside and made sure no one was around. She walked right in front of the massive horned head, and smiled.

"Hi, Yui." Mari said to large purple Evangelion. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? I guess you wouldn't know, because you're stuck in that Core, but… I'm back."

Unit–01's eyes glowed for a moment, as if trying to respond to Mari's conversation.

"Nice to see you recognize me." Mari quipped. "I was afraid you wouldn't."

Unit–01's eyes stayed dark.

"Well, don't be that way, Yui." Mari said. "I've missed you an awful lot. But I didn't come here to just say hello. I know no one is going to tell you, but Kyoko is on her way here… with her daughter."

Unit–01's eyes lit up brightly and stayed on.

"Yeah, I thought you might like to hear that news." Mari said happily. "Even better news, Shinji is going out to meet them on the ship transporting Asuka here. I know from that time I visited you in your sleep you wanted them to be together, and I know from their memories they met and were wonderful for each other." Mari smiled. "I know it's been a while for them, but I'm sure they'll remember. Maybe you can prod his memory from your position, seeing as you two sync up all the time. I just want him to be happy. He deserves it, and so does Asuka don't you think."

Unit–01's eyes flashed off and on quickly.

"So, once for yes then…" Mari said. "So, I have to go meet this Dr. Akagi woman for her to give me a physical, but I'll come see you again later, ok."

Unit–01's eyes shut back off.

"Bye, Yui." Mari said happily to the Evangelion. "It was a wonderful little chat."

–––

Misato, Shinji, Hikari, Toji and Kensuke were all sitting in the helicopter on the way to the U.N. Pacific Fleet. They were just crossing into the open ocean. Shinji and Hikari were still half asleep, while Toji looked towards Misato in the front seat with his love struck eyes, while Kensuke was simple being himself.

"Wow, a Mi–55 Heavy Transport Helicopter!" Kensuke exclaimed, his camera on his eye. "I never thought I'd get to ride in one of these hot mamas! Shinji, you're the best friend a guy could have!"

"Well, I'm glad someone's enjoying himself." Misato said. "I thought it might be nice if you guys came along, seeing as just looking at mountains all the time can be boring."

"Misato…" Shinji yawned. "It's still early, just relax. I'll enjoy myself a lot more after I sleep a bit more."

"I'm enjoying myself Misato…" Toji said seductively. "I'm even wearing a special hat that I bought just for today… just for you."

"Oh, Toji, stop!" Misato said, smiling and covering her mouth with her hand. "You're making me blush."

"And you're making me sick…" Hikari mumbled.

Shinji yawned again. "So, how long till we get there."

"Oh, only a few more minutes." Misato said. "Just look outside."

Down below them was a massive fleet of warships centered around a large aircraft carrier, the _Over the Rainbow_. There were over 80 warships floating in formation, spreading over what looked like several miles, and towards the back of the flotilla, was a single transport vessel covered in a huge tarp, presumably carrying Unit–02. Kensuke leaned out of the helicopter so far, Shinji and Toji grabbed his belt to keep him from falling.

"Wow, one… two… three… four… five aircraft carriers and four battleships, and a heavy cruiser too!" Kensuke exclaimed happily. "What a fleet! And that's the pride of the U.N. combined fleet down there, the supercarrier _Over the Rainbow_!"

"It's enormous." Shinji said.

"I know, I wonder how big it must feel on the inside." Hikari said.

"Yeah, I'm surprised that crusty old thing is still afloat." Misato quipped. 'Considering it's the ship that pulled me from the waters of Antarctica after Second Impact, it really doesn't look much different.' Misato thought.

"Nah, it's not so bad!" Kensuke said excitedly. "It's a vintage model commissioned by the U.S. just before Second Impact. The eighth Nimitz Class Supercarrier to be built, at 1,093ft long, it's one of the largest warships ever built!"

"How interesting…" Misato said.

–––

Admiral Michael Trudeau had his binoculars against his eyes. In the 15 years since Second Impact, he had become even gruffer than the day Misato had been pulled from the bloody waters of the Antarctic, and even higher ranking. Captain Smith was by his side looking at the helicopter as well, still Trudeau's second in command after 15 years on the same ship.

"Jesus, I think they brought the power cables for that expensive little toy of theirs!" The Admiral exclaimed. "Like hell I'm letting them hook those things up to the reactor."

"Sir, I know you hate NERV and the fact it gets more funding than anything else, but they have authority over this transport, so whoever they send can override whatever you say." The Captain replied. "Perhaps cooperating would allow us some additional funding if they heard we were courteous and such."

"I'd like to tell you you're speaking utter nonsense, but you're probably right." The Admiral said gruffly. "Doesn't mean I have to like it though."

"Of course not sir." The Captain replied.

–––

Arriving on the deck, Kensuke happily hopped out of the helicopter, looking around with his camera at everything he could see. Toji hopped off and his hat floated away and he chased after it.

"This is so awesome!" Kensuke shouted. "I'm so happy, I just want to cry! Look at all this stuff, guns everywhere, and launch pads, and combat planes, even missiles!"

"Hey, hat get back here!" Toji shouted. "Someone help me with my hat!"

Shinji and Hikari were stretching and yawning after the getting off, and Misato rubbed her neck after being cramped in the co–pilot's seat on the aircraft.

"Stop it you!" Toji yelled at the hat. "Come on, someone stop that hat! It's very special!"

The rolled up against a red shoe, which stomped the hat and crushed it into the flight deck. Toji looked up, clenching his fists, to see a red headed girl in a sundress smiling widely.

"Well, hello Misato." Asuka said happily. "How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been just fine." Misato replied. "Goodness, you've gotten taller since the last time I saw you."

Toji began tugging on the hat, trying to pull it out from under Asuka's foot, to no avail while the two women continued their cordial chat.

"Yep." Asuka said proudly. "I'm not just taller though, my figure has filled out as well."

"Good for you!" Misato said as the wind picked up and blew Asuka's sundress up, revealing a pair of yellow panties that matched the dress. Toji and Kensuke smiled broadly, and Shinji shook his head.

SLAP

SLAP

While Toji and Kensuke nursed their slaps, Asuka's hand was caught by Hikari for the last slap. "Hey, don't hit him, he didn't look." Hikari said. "Those two are the perverts, not him."

"Hmm…" Asuka said. "Fine, I won't hit him, are you his girlfriend or something?"

"No, we're just really good friends!" Hikari exclaimed.

"Hey, bitch!" Toji shouted. "What was the slap for?!"

"Toji!" Hikari exclaimed. "Language!"

Asuka turned to Toji. "That was the viewing fee, dummkopf! I'm not some silly girl who goes and shows her panties off to little perverts like you!"

"Well, it's a bit overpriced, but here's your change!" Toji reached for his pants, but Shinji stopped him.

"Don't be an idiot Toji!" Shinji said. "Keep your pants on, no one wants to see that!"

"What?!" Toji said. "So you don't get slapped, then I can't retaliate?"

"Toji, don't act like a kid…" Shinji said.

"You were going to expose yourself to me?!" Asuka shouted. "Scheißkerl!"

SLAP

Now Toji had twin marks on his face from a second slap he so rightly deserved.

"Serves you right, Toji." Hikari said. "You should act more gentlemanly." Hiakri shook her head. 'Jesus, you're an idiot Toji, I like you, come leer at me inappropriately, I'll show you my panties.' Hikari thought sullenly.

"Just be the bigger person, Toji…" Shinji said.

Toji just glared at Asuka while she looked at the other kids. "So, Misato, which one is the Third Child, please tell me it's not that one… and is this girl here the First?"

"No, it's this one here." Misato said brightly, rubbing the back of her head. She grabbed Shinji and pulled in in front of her. "Oh, let me introduce you all! Shinji, meet Asuka Langley Soryu, the Second Child, and the designated pilot of Unit–02. Asuka, meet the Third Child and designated pilot of Unit–01, Shinji Ikari. The boy you slapped is Toji Suzuhara, and the one holding his camera and crying is Kensuke Aida. And the girl is Hikari Horaki, their Shinji's friends, I thought they might want to come along for the trip."

'Why does her name sound so familiar?' Shinji thought. 'She just seems so familiar… and her hair… it's the same color as the girl from my dreams… and he eyes… sapphire… just like the girl in my dreams too… the one who's nice to me… the one who's my friend…'

'He looks awfully familiar… I wonder why?' Asuka thought. 'I have this feeling we've met before, but I don't remember… his name sounds awfully familiar though, and Kaji never mentioned his name… but those eyes… cobalt eyes… the ones I see looking at me in my dreams sometimes… weird…'

Hikari bowed. "Hello, Soryu–san, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Asuka walked up close to Shinji and examined him like an animal in a zoo. "Not much to look at is he?" Asuka said smugly. "I don't believe he's the Third Child. Although he's better than that arschloch over there." Asuka pointed at Toji, who still had two huge red marks on his face.

"No, that's him." Misato said. "The killer of three Angels so far."

"Not much to look at huh?" Shinji quipped. "Then why are you still looking?"

"I am not, I'm looking at Misato!" Asuka said indignantly.

"Yeah, sure." Shinji said. "Then why is your face getting red?"

"It is not!" Asuka yelled. "It's just warm up here!"

Shinji chuckled and extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Asuka."

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you too, Third Child." Asuka said, shaking his hand.

"Let's go inside, I need to discuss something with the Admiral." Misato said leading the kids inside.

–––

On the main bridge, the Admiral s scrutinizing Misato's NERV I.D. card. 'That name… Katsuragi… is it the same one from 15 years ago?' The Admiral thought. 'Well, she looks about the right age if she hadn't scribbled it out on her I.D. here…' The Admiral handed back the I.D. to a smiling Misato, who had five kids behind her. "Hmmm, a major with NERV, eh?" The Admiral said. "Welcome aboard. Although, from the antics on the flight deck, I thought you were going to end up being some sort of glorified babysitter."

"Thank you, sir." Misato said. "It's a pleasure to be aboard." Misato opened a folder. "On behalf of NERV, I'd like to extend our thanks for the assistance in the transport of Unit–02 from, Germany to Japan." Misato handed him a paper clipped stack of paper. "These are the specifications for the Evangelion's emergency power supply cable. According to the specifications of your reactor, it has ample output to power the Evangelion effectively."

The Admiral handed the papers to the Captain. "I will send these to my chief engineer, Major." The Admiral gave Misato a stern look. "However, I see no need to activate that toy we're transporting. The amount of firepower we have is more than sufficient to deal with any threat we have coming towards this fleet."

"That's all well and good Admiral, but let me remind you, NERV has operational authority here, I would not like to usurp your command, but if an Angel attacks, I will, if you refuse to cooperate." Misato said. "The EVA is extremely important, and highly valuable to NERV, we simply want to be prepared for all contingencies."

"So important that the entire U.N. Pacific Fleet is pulled from guard duty to escort a single mechanized weapon that looks like a toy?" The Admiral asked.

"Yes, and then some, if we could have pulled the Atlantic Fleet as well, we would have." Misato said. "This isn't nearly enough ships to protect Unit–02 however, so if you could install the cables and sign this transfer document."

"We'll install the cables, fine!" The Admiral said gruffly. "But I will not sign any document transferring or confirming delivery to you. We have been entrusted with Unit–02 and the Second Child by the 3rd Branch in Berlin, and the 6th Branch in Hamburg. You're just not going to waltz in here and do as you please, Major Katsuragi."

"When do you intend on signing it?" Misato asked. "When will you transfer Unit–02 and Asuka to us?"

"Once we've unloaded in New Yokosuka." Captain Smith replied.

"The ocean is our jurisdiction, Major." The Admiral said. "You will follow our orders here."

"Well, isn't this nice surprise?" Kaji said entering the bridge. "I do hope everyone is getting along."

"Mr. Kaji!" The Admiral shouted. "What have I told you about inviting yourself onto the bridge?!"

Asuka brightened up as she heard the voice and smiled. "Mr. Kaji!" She shouted sweetly.

"I don't quite remember, sir." Kaji said. "But no matter, I'll be out of your hair in a few minutes."

Misato's face fell when she heard who it was. 'Kaji… what are you doing here…'

"Uh, Admiral, we have a report in from the _Othello_ , sir." A lieutenant said.

"Go ahead." The Admiral said gruffly.

"The _Othello_ reports Engine trouble, and is reducing speed to 7 knots." The lieutenant reported. "What should we do sir?"

"Order all ships in the fleet to reduce to 6 knots, and tell the _Othello_ to do the same thing." The Admiral ordered.

"Aye, aye, sir!" The lieutenant said, going back to his station.

"Admiral, we do have a schedule to keep." Misato said. "We cannot be behind schedule."

"Unfortunately for you, Major, this fleet has to stay together, and is only allowed to go as fast as the slowest ship, so we reduce speed, and will get back to a faster sped when the _Othello_ is repaired. At worst, we arrive in New Yokosuka tomorrow afternoon instead of dinner time tonight."

"Where will we sleep, Admiral?" Misato asked. "We can't camp on the flight deck."

"There are some empty quarters below decks, two rooms in fact." The Captain said. "Admiral, with your permission, we can assign the Major one room, and put the boys in the other. The girls can share, as there are two unused bunks in there."

"Make it so, Captain." The Admiral said. "Mr. Kaji, you know where the rooms are, why don't you lead them down there yourself."

"I would be delighted, Admiral." Kaji said, smiling broadly.

"Admiral, just get us to New Yokosuka as ordered, as soon possible." Misato said leading the kids off the bridge and following Kaji.

"I can't believe those kids are the saviors of mankind…" The Admiral muttered.

"The times have been changing since the day this vessel first set sail after Second Impact." The Captain said. "And if Congress has invested in two of those machines, they must have some merit, sir."

"I still refuse to believe it." The Admiral said looking out the window at the transport ship, _Othello_. "There has to be more to the hopes of the human race than a child's plaything."

–––

As the seven people crammed into the elevator, Shinji and Hiakri were pressed into Misato's boobs while Asuka was pressed between Kaji and Toji, with Kensuke being in the front of the elevator recording everything he saw pass by.

"Kaji, what are you eve doing here!" Misato shouted.

"Well, I'm escorting Asuka here to Tokyo–3." Kaji said. "I was assigned after you left for the 1st Branch. I'm also her guardian until we reach Tokyo–3 where a new one will be assigned."

"Which is so sad, Mr. Kaji." Asuka said sweetly.

Shinji rolled his eyes. 'She acts awful sweet around this Kaji guy. I bet if he was on deck she wouldn't have slapped anyone.'

"You're her guardian?" Misato shouted. "What idiot decided that?!"

"The Commander of course."

"Figures…" Shinji muttered.

"The… Commander…?" Misato stuttered. "Seriously?"

"Yep." Kaji said, smirking happily. "Surprised, huh?"

"To say the least…" Misato mumbled. "I knew this was too easy, there had to be snag somewhere…" Misato mumbled.

–––

The seven of them were in the mess hall. Kaji took them there after dropping their stuff off in their rooms. Misato sat with her arms folded, looking quite angry, while Kaji stared dreamily at Misato, and rubbing his foot against hers. The kids all looked kinda bored, except Asuka, who was staring angrily at Kaji for some reason.

'This sucks, I'm stuck here with the man whose heart I broke, and he's hitting on me!' Misato thought angrily.

'Man, is that guy going to get Misato?' Toji thought.

'Jeez, this sucks, the mess hall isn't even that interesting…' Kensuke thought.

'Toji, will you please just notice me!' Hiakri thought angrily. 'All you and Kensuke ever do is stare at Misato, Toji just once, stare at me!'

'Well, this is fun, everyone's really quiet, Misato looks pissed, and this Asuka is a bit of a pain in the ass.' Shinji thought. 'I'd rather be at home right now than out here, leave it to Misato to ruin a perfectly good trip.'

'Kai, how could you be enamored with that woman!' Asuka thought angrily. 'She had better not be the one you're in love, otherwise I'll have to kill her! Kaji, talk to me like you always do… please…'

'Well, well, well, Misato, it's wonderful to see you again.' Kaji thought. 'I know I still love you, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to tease you a bit while I have your undivided attention on this ship. It's time for a little fun.'

"So, do you have a boyfriend right now, Katsuragi?" Kaji asked innocently.

"I don't think that's any of your business, is it?" Misato said angrily.

"Well, I'm hurt." Kaji said, as Misato pulled her legs away from Kaji. Kaji leaned forward and looked over at Shinji. "So, Shinji, I understand you're living with Katsuragi, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Shinji replied.

"So, does she still sleep sprawled all over the bed?" Kaji asked.

"WHAT!?" Everyone, excluding Shinji and Kaji shouted, Misato even fell over in shock.

"Oh, yeah, I go wake her up in the morning a lot, and half the time she has a bottle of sake or beer in her hand and looks kinda dead…" Shinji started explaining, but he was cut off.

"WH… WH… WHAT THE _HELL_ ARE YOU SAYING?" Misato shrieked. "AND IN FRONT OF CHILDREN NO LESS!"

"Misato, why is it wrong in front of children exactly." Shinji asked.

Misato just stared at Shinji.

"Glad to see nothing's changed, Katsuragi." Kaji said.

"Uh, Mr. Kaji, how did you know my name though?" Shinji asked.

"Well, I ought to know you, you're pretty famous in the defense business don't you know." Kaji explained as Asuka turned and glared at Shinji. "The famous Third Child who piloted an Evangelion successfully in his first battle without any training, and then who went on to defeat two more Angels, all within about the span of a moth! That's some impressive stuff, Shinji!"

"Oh… well… it's just mostly been luck…" Shinji said shyly.

"Not at all, Shinji!" Kaji exclaimed. "Luck is part of ability, and you have a real knack for it, and it's on your side. Considering you're in a position to save the world, I'd say we're pretty _lucky_ to have you."

"Thanks, Mr. Kaji…" Shinji said.

"Not a problem, Shinji my boy!" Kaji said. "Now, I have something to take care of so I'll see you all later." Kaji turned to Misato. "And I really hope I'll get to see you later, Katsuragi."

"Bye, Mr. Kaji!" Shinji said brightly.

"This is not happening, it's all just a bad dream…" Misato muttered under her breath.

–––

Later that night, Asuka was in her room, with Hikari. Hikari was trying to break the ice with the redhead, but it wasn't going so well.

"So, you're an EVA pilot." Hikari asked. "Is it as dangerous as Shinji claims it is?"

"Yeah, it can be." Asuka said. "But most people would have the good sense not to complain about it." Asuka looked at Hikari. "Why did you stop me from slapping him anyway? He must have seen my panties."

"No, Shinji's not like that, he closed his eyes." Hikari explained. "He's sweet, and gentle, and kind. He doesn't even think of that sort of thing, only the other two morons do, constantly. That and Shinji is my friend, and I don't like to see him get hurt."

"Sounds like you have a crush on the Third Child." Asuka said.

"No… I just consider us good friends." Hikari said. "It's nice to be friends with someone kind and courteous like Shinji."

"How did you become friends exactly?" Asuka asked.

"Well, Toji had beat him up pretty bad after his EVA caused a building to fall on Toji's sister. Shinji then saved her, but she was still hurt pretty bad." Hikari explained. "I patched Shinji up, and we bonded while I was cleaning blood off his face. It was actually kind of sweet now that I think about it."

"Interesting…" Asuka muttered.

"So, Soryu–san, you must have lots of friends back in Germany." Hiakri said.

"Not really." Asuka said. "I don't have any friends actually, at least none that I can remember…" Asuka looked at Hikari. "Why do ask?"

"Oh… well… I was wondering if you'd want to be friends with me?" Hikari said. "The only two girls I talk to are also EVA pilots, but Rei is very quiet, and Mari is… well… she's special."

"What, like retarded?" Asuka asked.

"No, just like she doesn't really belong. She sometimes acts like she's from a different time, and she's two years older than we are, because she was sick for a while, I don't know you'd have to ask her." Hikari said. "I like them a lot, but I want a best friend who'll talk to me without loads of sexual innuendo." Hikari chuckled. "Mari is fun, but you need breaks in between exposure to her."

'Wow, this girl is really nice, I can see why the Third Child considers her a friend. And she wants to be friends with me? Well, why not, she's nice enough, and it beats being alone I guess.' Asuka thought as she smiled. "Well, seeing as I have an opening for the job of best friend, why not?" Asuka said.

"That's wonderful!" Hiakri explained. "I can't wait for us to get back to Tokyo–3, we can go out shopping and everything!"

Asuka smiled. "That sounds fun! But maybe we should get our beauty sleep, don't you think?"

"Yeah, alright Soryu–chan." Hikari said.

"Hey, enough with the honorifics." Asuka said. "I'll call you Hikari, and you'll call me Asuka, nice and simple, right?"

"Sure, Asuka." Hikari said happily. "Goodnight."

–––

Asuka woke up a few hours later and clambered out of her bunk. She looked at a sleeping Hikari and smiled.

'My new friend, it's an odd feeling to have a find, even after so long I can't remember my last friend's name…' Asuka thought.

Asuka slipped quietly out into the corridor and began wandering the ship, looking for something to make her sleep, yet there was too much on her mind.

'Why is the thought of the Third Child aggravating me?!' Asuka thought angrily. 'I just want to sleep, yet I keep hearing about how great Shinji Ikari is. Kaji had nothing but wonderful things to say about him, and how good of a pilot he is… I'm the best EVA pilot no him. I've been training my whole life and some jerk comes in and kills three Angels, and everyone loves him for it! He sucks!'

Asuka kicked a doorway in anger and then kept moving along.

'Stupid Shinji, he makes me sick. He won by luck instead of skill. He's liable to kill someone by accident. Hell, he almost did just that.' Asuka thought.

"Asuka, what are doing up?" Kaji asked, startling Asuka.

"I'm… just walking around." Asuka said.

"Just wandering around in the middle of the night?" Kaji asked. "Asuka, that's not like you at all. IS something on your mind?"

"No, I just couldn't sleep." Asuka said.

'Poor girl…' Kaji thought. "Asuka, are you thinking about Shinji?"

"What?!" Asuka shouted. "Of course not, I don't even know the Third Child, why would I think about him?"

"Because your reaction says otherwise." Kaji said wisely.

"Fine… yes I was thinking about the great Shinji Ikari…" Asuka moaned. "It's not fair, why did her get to fight the Angels and not me?"

"Because he was brought to NERV HQ where they seem to be attacking, and you were stuck in Germany." Kaji explained.

"But why him, he's just the Commander's son, he's probably not even that good!" Asuka moaned.

"Asuka, did you know that against the Third Angel, without a plugsuit or any training, he synced with Unit–01 at 42%?" Kaji asked. "That's not him being bad at the job, that's him being a natural for the job."

"I don't believe you." Asuka grumbled. "I have the highest sync score, not him."

"Follow me Asuka." Kaji said.

"Alright." Asuka said following Kaji to a room several decks away, filled with chairs and a large monitor on one end. "Why are we in the pilot's briefing room?" Asuka asked.

Kaji produced a disc from his pocket. "We're here to watch this."

"What is it?" Asuka asked.

"The recordings of all of Shinji's battles, audio and multiple visuals, from both the cockpit and Central Dogma." Kaji said. "You should watch them, then think on whether you believe me or not." Kaji tossed her the disc. "Put it in the player, we're going to watch them right now."

"But…" Asuka started.

"No, buts Asuka, just hit play." Kaji said.

Asuka inserted the disc and hit play. The battles with Sachiel, Shamshel, and both encounters with Ramiel were played out in a little under an hour. Asuka sat there in stunned silence watching as Shinji cried and begged for help, then all of a sudden the cockpit feed went out during the battle with Sachiel. She watched Shinji's anger and resentment towards Misato and his utter rage while killing Shamshel, and she heard his scrams of agony and his begging to be saved before he died during Ramiel's first attack, then she heard his impassioned speech and final words to Ramiel as he took an unnamed shot that killed the Angel. When the video ended, Asuka was both impressed and furious.

"How the hell did he make a shot the computer couldn't?!" Asuka said angrily. "Did he use the fucking force?!"

"I doubt it Asuka, that's just a movie." Kaji said nonchalantly. "He probably just got lucky. He's a great shot though, clearly he knows how to handle a rifle."

"Yeah, well, I still don't get how his sync score is so much higher than mine!" Asuka said. "He's just a newbie! I've been training to pilot for as long as I can remember, and he just gets to take that away from me?!"

"Asuka, you need to relax, Shinji is a good kid, and a great pilot." Kaji said. "I kept telling you to work harder, Asuka, but you didn't. You sat on your laurels, and this is what happens. Shinji puts the effort in, not to be the best, but to survive. You need to do the same, Asuka. Fight to survive, not pilot to be the best. Once you face an Angel up close, you won't feel quite as cocky. You saw the tapes, Shinji almost died against the Fifth Angel, and his luck with that second shot saved Ayanami. He's an impressive kid, although I don't have any footage of the Jet Alone incident, he did a wonderful thing there too"

"Well, I hate him for it!" Asuka shouted.

"Asuka, you and I both know you don't hate him." Kaji said kindly. "You just dislike that he's seen more combat than you."

"No, that's not true, I hate him!" Asuka said.

"Asuka, you don't hate anyone but your father, so don't treat Shinji like that." Kaji said. "Give him a chance."

"Fine!" Asuka huffed. "Goodnight, Kaji!" Asuka stormed out of the room and went back to her own room. "I'll teach Shinji who the better pilot is, I'll show him my superior EVA and then he'll know I'm the better pilot!" Asuka grumbled on the way back to her room.

'She doesn't even know she met him 11 years ago, does she?' Kaji thought. 'When their mothers met to discuss the plans for the Evangelions, they played inside NERV HQ, I wonder why they both forgot, and why no one has told them… especially the Commander and Sub–Commander. They must be trying to hide the fact from them both…' Kaji sighed as Asuka wandered away. 'If she only knew she had a friend she trusted…'

* * *

August 30, 2015 – Pacific Ocean, U.N. Pacific Fleet Flagship, U.N.V. _Over the Rainbow_

Shinji was just getting out of bed and was going to wander to the mess hall for something to eat. When he got there, the door was blocked by Asuka.

"Third Child, you're coming with me." Asuka said forcefully.

"But, I want to eat first." Shinji said. "Let me in."

"No, you can eat these because you're coming with me." Asuka said shoving a few protein bars in his face. "Let's go already!"

"Fine, but you don't have to be such a pain in the ass about it." Shinji said.

Asuka spun around. "What did you say to me?"

"I said you could be a bit nicer!" Shinji said angrily. "And not such a _pain in the ass_!"

"Oh, shut up!" Asuka exclaimed. "I'll show you a pain in the ass if you're not careful."

–––

Hikari walked into the mess hall to see Toji and Kensuke sitting alone.

"Morning you two." Hikari said. "Where's Shinji?"

"No idea, he got up before us, we figured he'd be down here." Toji replied.

"Yeah, they said they haven't seen him, they only saw the German terror." Kensuke said.

"That's not a nice thing to say, Kensuke!" Hikari said admonishingly. "You shouldn't call her names, she's not that bad."

"Fine I won't call her names…" Kensuke said. 'In front of you anyway…' Kensuke thought.

"I wonder if Asuka saw him and dragged him somewhere…" Hikari asked aloud.

"I believe I saw the two of them take a transport helicopter to the _Othello_ , where Unit–02 is being stored." Kaji replied, appearing suddenly behind Hikari. "Sorry to startle you folks, just grabbing breakfast. Mind if I take a seat?"

"Sure." Toji said. "So, what's the deal with you and Misato, Mr. Kaji?"

"Oh, long story, too long to tell, and not for a child's ear." Kaji said. "It goes back a long time. I've known Katsuragi since college."

"Did you two date?" Hikari asked.

"To put it simply, yes we did." Kaji said. "But don't tell Katsuragi that I told you, she would be… well… embarrassed by if the information was out there."

"I won't tell anyone." Hikari said sweetly.

"Whatever…" Kensuke muttered.

"Yeah, I don't want to embarrass Misato…" Toji said.

–––

Onboard the _Othello_ , Asuka had dragged Shinji to show off her new and unused Unit–02. Asuka proudly lifted the tarp to show off her darling red Evangelion.

"That's an… interesting color." Shinji said. "I didn't know Unit–02 was red."

"That's not all that different about Unit–02." Asuka said.

Asuka led Shinji inside where she stood atop her Unit–02, which was half submerged in LCL, while she left Shinji on the makeshift dock below.

"Impressive…" Shinji muttered.

"Unit–00 and Unit–01 are the Prototype and Test Type respectively. The fact that Unit–01 synchronized with an untrained pilot like you is proof of that. However, Unit–02 is a little different." Asuka said proudly. "My Unit–02 is the world's first real Evangelion! Created for actual combat conditions, Unit–02 is the final production model, and totally ready for anything a stupid Angel can throw at it."

Asuka and Shinji were shaken by a loud noise they heard that almost knocked Asuka into the LCL.

"Undersea explosions?!" Asuka shouted.

"Yeah, they sounded awful close too…" Shinji said worriedly.

Asuka and Shinji ran outside to the port side of the _Othello_ and looked out at the fleet. There they saw a destroyer completely destroyed by an undersea explosion. The large ripple in the water moved towards another ship, a cruiser, and engulfed the in flames as well.

"Look! Those ships just exploded for no reason!" Asuka screamed.

"What the fuck?!" Shinji exclaimed. "No… no, no, no… it can't be, not out here… not Angels!"

Another cruiser exploded right in front of their eyes. Shinji saw several men be tossed for the ship into the unforgiving sea as the ripple moved away towards another ship.

"Oh shit, it's an Angel!" Shinji shouted.

"Angels, really, out here?! A real one?!" Asuka said worriedly. 'I'm not ready to fight yet, what if I get hurt like Shinji over here… Kaji is right, I am jealous cause he's faced three of those things, and this'll be my first one… wait a second, I'm Asuka Langley Soryu, I can handle anything! I'll be fine, and I'll bring this little dummkopf with me…' Asuka thought.

"This is really bad, we need to find Misato and let her know." Shinji said.

"Wunderbar…" Asuka said, grinning devilishly.

–––

Misato walked onto the bridge and was a little nervous. She had called the U.N. and found out the commanding officer and executive officer on board have always been assigned to this ship since it first launched. Misato walked nervously over to the Admiral to talk to him about something important.

"Excuse me, Admiral?" Misato asked. "Do you have a moment?"

"Yes, what is it Major?" The Admiral asked.

"I just wanted to thank you." Misato said.

"For installing the power lines?" The Admiral said. "I told you I would do that, under threat of my command being usurped no less."

"No, not for that, for September 18, 2000." Misato said. "The day I was pulled out of the Dead Sea Antarctica had become."

"So you are the same girl." The Admiral said. "I'm glad you're talking now at least. I remember the doctor said you wouldn't talk at all."

"Yeah… needless to say, I had just see the world end around me, so I wasn't exactly in the best condition to talk." Misato said. "But still, I wanted to thank you, you saved my life that day, and I'm very thankful for that."

"You're quite welcome Major." The Admiral said.

However, before Misato could respond, and alarm claxon sounded, signaling an alert.

"Admiral, three ships were just sunk in rapid succession!" Captain Smith shouted. "Several more have been heavily damaged! The enemy is moving too fast to engage! We need orders, sir!"

"Order the fleet to battle stations, and order evasive actions, now!" The Admiral ordered as Toji, Hikari and Kensuke came onto the bridge. "And then prepare a counterattack with all available weapons, scramble all alert fighters, and get the anti–submarine helicopters in the air too!"

"Aye, aye, sir!" Captain Smith shouted.

"Oh no, it must be an Angel!" Misato said loudly. "Admiral, please, let me get my pilot to activate Unit–02, we can stop this thing with the EVA!"

"No, this Angel picked the wrong fleet to mess with!" The Admiral said loudly. "Target this damn thing and send it back to hell where it came from, Captain!"

"Aye, sir!" Captain Smith replied. "Firing solution is all set, ALL SHIPS, OPEN FIRE!"

Torpedo after torpedo and depth charge after depth charge were launched at the Angel to no avail. Beneath the water, the Angel, what looked to be a giant beige colored sting ray, roughly the same size as the _Over the Rainbow_ , was swimming wildly fast, plowing through ship after ship looking for something… her father, Adam. The Angel opened her mouth wide to chew through another ship, and revealed three rows of massive, sharp teeth that cut though the destroyer with ease, blowing it into two and causing it to sink, and also a blood red Core at the back of her throat. She had several spikes in her head, and a bid skull like face mask on its dorsal surface above its mouth, remarkably similar to Sachiel's.

Gaghiel had arrived.

Kaji looked on from below the flight deck and sighed as the U.N. fleet fired mercilessly on Gaghiel.

"This kind of firepower will never penetrate an A.T. Field. The Sixth Angel seems to be searching for something too, I wonder…" Kaji said. "What a waste of ammunition. But… this is my cue to leave."

–––

"Come on, hurry up!" Asuka shouted.

"Where are you taking me?!" Shinji shouted back.

Asuka came to a stairwell and shoved Shinji inside. "Just stay right here for a minute." Asuka ran down the stairs, just past where the upper flight covered the lower flight and started to strip, she threw open the bag on the ground and grabbed her red plugsuit and pulled it on. She struggled with it a bit, and just as she was covering her breasts, Shinji peeked around to see if everything was ok.

"Asuka, is everything ok?" Shinji asked.

"Pervert!" Asuka shouted. "Fucking deviant, get back!"

"Sorry, you sounded like you were having trouble…" Shinji said.

"Why are all boys such demented perverts?!"Asuka grumbled while Shinji sat, ashamed, on the stairs waiting for Asuka to finish. "Gottverdammt dummkopf!"

Asuka pulled her hair out of the plugsuit and activated it, with it forming around her attractive, lithe body. "Let's go, Asuka." Asuka whispered to herself.

–––

On the bridge of the _Over the Rainbow_ , the Admiral was watching the battle intently, seeing missiles, bombs, torpedoes and depth charges fail to kill the Angel.

"Why is that bastard not sinking?!" The Admiral shouted.

"Only an EVA can beat it." Toji said casually.

"What did you say, boy?" The Admiral spat.

"He said only an EVA can beat it!" Hikari spoke up. "He's seen it happen twice, he should know!"

"What?!" The Admiral said. "He's seen two of these things up close?!"

"Yeah, I have, and only that Unit–02 can beat it ass!" Toji replied.

"Let me deploy the EVA, Admiral!" Misato pleaded. "Before more ships and lives are needlessly lost!"

"Fine, seeing as the attack is not as effective as I'd hoped, you can launch your toy, Major." The Admiral replied.

–––

Asuka tossed a spare plugsuit at Shinji. It was identical to hers.

"Here put this on." Asuka said.

"What?" Shinji replied.

"I said put it on!" Asuka replied forcefully. "Let's go, we don't have all day you know!"

Asuka walked off towards her EVA while Shinji quickly changed.

"Asuka, why did you give me a plugsuit?" Shinji asked, covering himself. He filled out the plugsuit quite well, which considering it was made for Asuka is either a compliment to Shinji, or an insult to Asuka.

"What are you, stupid or something?!" Asuka shouted. "We're going to defeat that Angel with my, Unit–02, now let's go!" Asuka slapped a button on the EVA and the Entry Plug covering opened, and the Entry Plug was ejected, allowing access to the pilot's seat inside.

"Does Misato know about this?" Shinji asked nervously. "We shouldn't do this without permission, you know."

"Please, disobeying orders is the name of the game, Shinji." Asuka said smugly. "I'll get her permission after the fact."

Asuka opened the Entry Plug, and Shinji clambered up the back of Unit–02. "Here you are, Third Child, get ready for an awesome display of piloting." Asuka said proudly.

"Don't be in such a rush, Asuka, fighting Angels is not all it's cracked up to be." Shinji quipped. "Trust me on that…"

"What are you, stupid?!" Asuka shouted. "Come on, we have an Angel to kill!"

"Sure, whatever." Shinji muttered. "Let's get this over with."

The Entry Plug reinserted itself into the EVA, and it turned on, and began the startup sequence herself. "LCL Füllung… anfang der bewegung… anfang des nervenanschlusses… auslöses von links–kleidung. Synchro–start." A message reading "FEHLER" flashed on the screen around them.

"It's… a programming error?" Shinji asked.

"It's thought–noise, dummkopf." Asuka growled. "I told you not to disturb me!"

"What do you mean, Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"You're thinking in Japanese aren't you?" Asuka said loudly. "If you must think, do it in German!"

"I'll try…" Shinji said confidently. "Bratwurst… wienerschnitzel… strudel…"

"Baka!" Asuka shouted. "Never mind, switch language interface to Japanese!" The Entry Plug came online and Asuka gripped the control yokes. "Evangelion, Unit–02… GO!"

"Asuka, you realize we're in the B–Type equipment, right?" Shinji said. "If we fall into the ocean, we'll drown. They can't recover us before time runs you know."

"Then we won't do that." Asuka said.

" _Asuka, are you there?_ " Misato said over the comm.

"Yes, Misato, I here." Asuka said.

" _This is our chance, Asuka, take off!_ " Misato ordered.

"Roger!" Asuka said.

"Asuka, here it comes!" Shinji shouted as Gaghiel charged towards them. "Jump already!"

"Let's do it!" Asuka shouted.

Unit–02 jumped just as the _Othello_ was struck and sunk by Gaghiel. It landed somewhat gracefully on a destroyer, crushing its antenna array, and wrapped in the tarp that had been covering it.

"Where is that son of a bitch?!" Asuka said.

"7 o'clock Asuka." Shinji said. "And we don't have a lot of time either! Your battery only has 52 seconds left!"

"I'm well aware of that." Asuka said. "Misato, get that emergency power cable onto the flight deck, now!"

" _I'm on it!_ " Misato said. " _And Shinji, you're in there too._ "

"Yeah, Misato." Shinji replied.

" _Alright you two, be careful now._ " Misato said.

"Awesome… let's play hopscotch." Asuka said.

"You mean…" Shinji asked.

"Yup, hold on Third!" Asuka shouted.

Unit–02 leapt from the destroyer it was on to another one a short distance away, landing on its helicopter pad. It leapt off that destroyer and landed amidships on a cruiser, throwing its cloak off during the jump. Unit–02 leapt to another destroyer, this time landing on the bow, barely avoiding crushing its main cannon. Unit–02 continued leaping as the _Over the Rainbow_ prepared for the EVA to land heavily on its flight deck.

"EVA Unit–02, coming in hot!" Asuka shouted.

Unit–02 landed heavily on the flight deck, making the ship list heavily to port, tipping it enough that a dozen planes still remaining on the flight deck, along with dislodged munitions from the impact fell off the ship and into the sea. Unit–02 balanced itself, and righted the carrier at the same time, saving three Su–33s from watery graves.

" _The target is approaching rapidly!_ " The comm chirped.

"Angel approaching from 9 o'clock!" Shinji reported.

"Switching to external power!" Asuka said. "Switch completed!"

"So, how do you intend to fight this thing, Asuka?" Shinji asked. "We don't exactly have any guns…"

"I think a Progressive Knife will do just fine, don't you?" Asuka said.

As the large wave was approaching, the left pylon of Unit–02 opened up, revealing what appeared to be a dagger with a hollowed out middle. Asuka drew the knife and moved forward, bracing for impact. Gaghiel surfaced and sped up.

"It's fucking enormous!" Shinji said.

"Well, you know the saying." Asuka said. "The bigger they are…"

"Now is not the time to be quoting idioms, Asuka!" Shinji shouted.

Gaghiel jumped clear of the water and tackled Unit–02 into the bridge of the ship. Gaghiel crushed a few of the panes still on the flight deck, and unit–20 dropped its Prog Knife, cutting a hole through the armor plating. Gaghiel had landed entirely on the ship and was struggling with Unit–02 as it fought against the Angel at close range. Unit–02's foot slid onto the starboard aft aircraft elevator, and the force of the EVA fighting against the Gaghiel broke the elevator slammed Unit–02 into the bridge again, and then slid off the port side of the ship.

" _Asuka, you can't fight in the water in B–Type Equipment!_ " Misato shouted.

"Well, you know what they say." Asuka said. "You don't know till you try."

Unit–02 fell onto the ground below in the sunken cityscape around them. Then Gaghiel awoke and clamped down on Unit–02, and began dragging them away from the ship, the cable running out of its holder extremely fast. As the cable neared the end of its length Shinji shook Asuka.

"We have to do something, Asuka!" Shinji shouted while Asuka cried out in pain. "We can't just sit here!"

"I don't know!" Asuka shouted. "I'm not sure what to do!"

"It's ok Asuka, we'll think of something… together." Shinji said confidently.

" _Asuka, Shinji, the cable's about to run out, brace for impact!_ " Misato warned.

"Shit!" Shinji shouted.

"Scheisse!" Asuka shouted.

The force of the cable snapping taught threw the both of them from where they had been and right into the wall of the Entry Plug. Gaghiel left Unit–02 floating dead in the water.

"Asuka, are you ok?!" Shinji asked, shaking off the shock with some ease. "Asuka!"

"Yeah… I think I'm ok…" Asuka muttered. "My head hurts thought…"

"You just hit the Entry Plug, I think that's expected, Asuka." Shinji said.

"Shut up, Third…" Asuka said weakly. "You're giving me a headache."

–––

One of the still working flight elevators began to move as Kensuke was filming the event from the bridge. Toji was holding Hikari in his arms. After unit–02 had hit the bridge, he dove after her to keep her from getting hurt.

"Thanks, Toji." Hikari said. "You move pretty quickly when you want to…"

"Well, the class rep can't get hurt on my watch, seeing as Shinji out's there with the German girl." Toji said. "You alright, Hikari?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Hikari replied. "So that was an Angel?"

"Yep, not as ugly as the other one I saw with Shinji and Kensuke, but this one is way bigger!" Toji exclaimed.

"So they all look different, huh?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, the three I've seen all look different." Toji said. "Hey you want help up, Hikari?"

"Yeah…" Hikari blushed. 'He noticed me, he finally noticed me!' Hikari thought happily. 'And he kept me from getting hurt! I knew the boy I loved was still in that moronic exterior that's formed since we were kids!'

"Hey, a custom Yak–38's taking off!" Kensuke shouted.

" _Hey, Katsuragi!_ " Kaji said over the comm.

"Kaji!" Misato shouted. "You have a plan?"

" _No, I've got to make a delivery, so I'll be taking off._ " Kaji replied. " _Ta–ta for now!_ "

"KAJI GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE LIKE A MAN!" Misato shouted.

" _Sorry Katsuragi, I'll make it up to you somehow!_ " Kaji replied nonchalantly. " _Take care of the rest of this, Major! Good luck!_ "

"He ran away…" Kensuke said.

"That son of a bitch!" Misato shouted, shaking her fist out the window. "Coward!"

–––

Unit–02 was still floating just above the seabed, unable to move, as Gaghiel was circling around again for another attack on the helpless Evangelion.

"Asuka, it's coming towards us again." Shinji said.

"Right, I'll finish that piece of scheisse off this time." Asuka said, moving the control yokes, but Unit–02 did not respond. "Hey! It's not fucking working!"

"Type–B Equipment, remember?" Shinji said. "It doesn't work well in the water."

"What are you going to do?!" Asuka shouted.

"What am I going to do?" Shinji shouted back. "It's a team effort here, Asuka!"

"Well you're the famous Third Child, think of something gottverdammt!" Asuka shouted back.

Gaghiel was nearing the EVA and it opened its mouth wide, revealing its teeth.

"TEETH!" Asuka screamed. "I don't want to get eaten!"

"Asuka, it's an Angel!" Shinji shouted. "These things are all dangerous!"

"But, it has teeth! The other three didn't have teeth!" Asuka shouted.

"Yeah, trust me, this is the better alternative to getting fucked by a glowing rod, or tentacles, or a god damn light beam!" Shinji shouted. "Now, you want my advice? I suggest holding onto something!"

Gaghiel bit Unit–02 on the torso, leaving its top half inside the mouth, and its waist and legs outside. The force of the impact knocked Shinji into Asuka.

"Great, now we're chum for the Jaws here…" Shinji quipped. "It always goes from bad to worse…"

"Oh shut up, you pessimist!" Asuka said until she noticed Shinji was on her lap. 'Oh, this is actually kind of nice, he's kinda comfy even if he is shaking a bit, or is that me?' Asuka thought. Asuka blushed. "Get off of my lap, you pervert!"

"Really, you're yelling at me for falling on you?!" Shinji shouted. 'I know she's afraid, I could feel her shaking…' Shinji thought. 'But her attitude isn't helping.'

" _Hey you two!_ " Misato shouted. " _Don't let the Angel get away, let it keep you in its mouth!_ "

"Why exactly are we doing that, Misato?!" Shinji asked.

" _We're going fishing of course!_ "

"Hey Misato, I think we're gonna need a bigger boat!" Shinji quipped.

"Great, we're going to be eaten by this beast!" Asuka whined.

"Shut up, Asuka and focus!" Shinji shouted. "What's your crazy plan this time Misato?!"

" _We're going to sink the two damaged battleships and use their guns to and self–destruct charges to blow this Angel to kingdom come! We just need you two to pry open the mouth of the Angel when I give the signal!_ "

"Ok…" Shinji said. "If you say so…"

"You're just agreeing with her?!" Asuka shouted.

"Well, inside the EVA, there isn't much time to question her plan. But outside of the EVA however, question her shit all you like." Shinji explained. "You'll never get used to it however."

"Great, so she's crazy." Asuka asked.

"Yeah, pretty much…" Shinji said reaching for the controls. "Let's get to it!"

"Hey!" Asuka screamed as she pounded on Shinji's head with her fists. "Don't operate my EVA without my permission!"

"Really, we have to work together and your idea of cooperation is hitting me in the head?!" Shinji shouted.

" _Shinji, Asuka, do you understand the operation?_ " Misato asked.

"Yeah, I'll do the best I can!" Shinji said as Asuka started pulling his hair. "Let go of my EVA's controls Third Child!"

The two Iowa Class Battleships began sinking into the water slowly.

" _Get ready you two!_ " Misato said. " _Reverse the cable!_ "

The force of being pulled up slammed Shinji and Asuka into each other as they each held onto a control yoke.

"WAHHHHHHH!" They both screamed.

"Hey, are you rubbing against me on purpose?!" Asuka shouted. "Get off my leg you dork!"

"Hey, will you quit complaining!" Shinji exclaimed. "We have to open this bastard's mouth otherwise we're fish food!"

"Fine, then we don't have any time left…" Asuka said pulling the yokes open and deploying them into fine movement mode. "Well, get closer, we both have to do this, don't we?"

Shinji sat in Asuka's lap and grabbed the control yokes, his hands covering hers.

'This is weird… I actually feel comfortable with him sitting there…' Asuka thought. 'But he can't know that, or he'll get strange perverted ideas…'

'She finally stopped shaking!' Shinji thought. 'I guess she's not nervous anymore, but I wonder why? She seemed really afraid before, no matter what her bravado said…'

"Don't get any funny ideas, Shinji!" Asuka said angrily.

"I don't think I'm in the right position to try what you're implying, Asuka." Shinji quipped. "Besides, we have to focus here?!" Shinji pushed the control yokes as hard as he could. "Come on, Asuka, push!"

"I'm trying, Shinji!" Asuka shouted.

Gaghiel's mouth barely opened with all the force Shinji and Asuka were putting into the moving Unit–02's arms. Whatever strength they had simply wasn't enough.

' _Asuka, I know you can't hear me… I've been calling out to you this whole time and you haven't even noticed. I can feel your heart is closed tight to those around you. You're trying to protect yourself from being hurt._ ' Kyoko though solemnly. ' _I'm glad Shinji is with you though, I can tell deep down in your subconscious you remember him even if you can't consciously recall who he is, and I can feel your heart racing at his gentle touch… Asuka I just hope you realize who he is before it's too late. Oh Asuka, Yui would be so happy if she could see this… but you need to focus more, the both of you! I'll give you what help I can… but I can't take control of the EVA with two other souls to contend with. Asuka, my darling, I know your father was a complete asshole after my accident, and I'm sorry you found my body after I killed myself… I'm so very sorry for that sweetie… but right now, just so you know… I'm here now, and whether you realize it or not, I'll protect you._ '

Unit–02's eyes glowed, and the instruments went haywire, and it easily pried open Gaghiel's mouth, allowing the battleships inside. Unit–02 pushed away from Gaghiel just as ships exploded, and Gaghiel going up in a cross shaped blast of light, sending Unit–02 flying out of the water and landing perfectly on the flight deck of the _Over the Rainbow_ before shutting down, both pilots passing out from exhaustion.

–––

In New Yokosuka, the remains of the U.N. Pacific Fleet had arrived in late afternoon, no longer hampered by the _Othello_ and its damaged engines, the fleet made up time. However out of the 80–odd ships to leave Hamburg, only 52 made it to shore in Japan.

"Finally, dry land!" Toji exclaimed. "Thank you New Yokosuka!"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Toji." Kensuke said looking at Unit–02 being pulled off the deck. "Wow, look the holes in the armor! That must have stung!"

"Hey, Kensuke, that was a bit scary." Hikari said. "I'm glad to be on dry land too."

Asuka and Shinji came down the boarding ramp, dressed in identical pursuits, with towels draped over them.

"Hmmm, so this is japan huh?" Asuka said. "How quaint…"

"Oh, be quiet Asuka." Shinji said.

"Make me, Third!" Asuka shouted.

A truck approached carrying Ritsuko and a very exhausted Misato.

"So, I heard you kids had an interesting trip." Ritsuko said.

"Yeah, same old, same old." Shinji said. "Just another Angel…"

"So, some good news for you both, you beat your previous sync scores." Ritsuko said. "Shinji you hit – 51.8%, and Asuka, you got 45.3%. Good job!"

"Thanks, Dr. Akagi." Shinji replied.

'I still placed behind Shinji?' Asuka thought. "Hey, where's Mr. Kaji?" Asuka asked.

"Oh, that ass took off in the middle of the fight, he's probably at HQ now laughing his stupid ass off!" Misato shouted.

"Oh, can we go see him?" Asuka asked.

"No, we have to find you your next guardian, Asuka. Temporary quarters will be set up for a few days while someone goes over your options with you."

Asuka leaned in to Misato. "Can just move in with you, like we always talked about?" Asuka whispered.

"Sure, Asuka, it'll take a few days to clear everything, so you'll have a bed in HQ with your name on it." Misato replied.

"Thanks Misato!" Asuka said cheerfully and she hopped off the truck. 'Excellent, now I can keep an eye on Shinji…' Asuka thought. 'For some reason, being close to him makes me happy… and yet I like being alone… he's such an odd kid…'

"You didn't do that with Shinji." Ritsuko said. "You moved him in right away."

"Asuka's different Ritsuko, she's got a lot more baggage than Shinji, literally and mentally." Misato explained. "That and I need to figure out a way to break the news to him."

"Misato, they both have seen and dealt with some awful things according to their psych profiles." Ritsuko said. "What is it really?"

"Nothing, Ritz, just drop it!" Misato said.

"You never think anything through, Misato…" Ritsuko muttered.

–––

Kaji was standing in Gendo's office, the case that held Adam on his desk.

"Well, my goodness, that was a rather eventful trip, wasn't it." Kaji looked at the stoic Gendo. "Was it caused by this I wonder?" Kaji opened the case on the desk, revealing Adam. "It's restored itself this far, even though it's frozen and suspended it's still alive. It's actually quite amazing really." Kaji said. "So, I'm guessing this is the key to the Human Instrumentality Project?"

"Correct." Gendo said simply. "This is the First Angel… this is Adam…"

* * *

September 1, 2015 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Shinji, Toji, Hikari, and Kensuke all arrived at school on time the next morning, the battle still fresh in their minds. It was something that was still the topic of conversation amongst them, at least until they arrived at school. That's when Shinji noticed two absences, Rei and Mari, and wondered where they could be.

"In wonder where Rei and Mari are, I thought they'd be here by now…" Shinji muttered.

"I bet Mari's late." Hikari said. "I bet she missed you a lot."

"Yeah, and Rei is probably just sick, don't fret too much, Shinji, I'm sure they're fine." Toji said.

"I guess you guys are right." Shinji said. "But I do worry a lot, that's my thing."

"Yeah, well, I have to say, I'm glad we're rid of that red headed devil." Kensuke said. "She was a real pain in the ass."

"Yeah, no kidding, and poor Shinji here gets to work with her as a pilot!" Toji pointed out. "I feel totally sorry for him."

"Hey, guys, come on, she wasn't that bad…" Hikari said.

"Yeah, she wasn't that mean in the Entry Plug." Shinji said. "She was just annoyed."

"Well her attractiveness is like a trap for the unsuspecting, where the devil inside her will eat up anyone that tries to get close!" Kensuke said.

"Kami–sama, Kensuke, you're an idiot sometimes." Shinji said, facepalming.

"Yeah, well at least she won't darken our doorstep anymore." Toji said happily.

In that moment, the classroom door slid open to reveal a new student standing there, was none other than Asuka Langley Soryu, dressed ion the school uniform.

"NOOOO!" Toji screamed, pointing maniacally at Asuka. "Not… not you!"

"Oh crap…" Kensuke muttered.

"Yay, my new friend is in our class!" Hikari squealed.

"Well, at least I can still hide at home…" Shinji mumbled.

Asuka walked proudly into the class, and right up to the chalkboard and wrote her name in neat cursive lettering and spun around quickly and giggled sweetly. All while Toji and Kensuke were looking on in shock, Hikari looking on happily, and Shinji looking on worriedly while the rest of the class simply stared at Asuka as she spoke.

"I'm Asuka Langley Soryu!" Asuka said politely. "Charmed, I'm sure."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 51.8% (+4.6%)  
Asuka – 45.3% (+7.3%)  
Rei – 36.4% (+7.1%)  
Mari – Pending

So, this chapter is based on Episode 8 of the anime, if you couldn't already tell. Also, the opening scene from Episode 22 was used quite heavily in the first section of the chapter. Basically, I loved how Shinji and Asuka met in the show and expanded on it as much as I could, making it much better IMHO.

I brought Hikari along on this little journey to deal with the fact that she's a close friend of Shinji's who Misato likes. So Misato decides to leave Rei and Mari behind to watch over Tokyo–3 while she retrieves Asuka and Unit–02.

This chapter also takes place exactly 11 years after the events depicted in Episode III Chapter 2, _When Shinji Met Asuka…_ , which depicted of course, by the title, the first meeting of these two kids. These events show that they both remember deep down inside (as pointed out by Kyoko who helps them force Gaghiel's mouth open). Shinji has dreams of a friendly red headed girl, and Asuka feel comfortable around him.

Now, I didn't change much other than Hikari being here, and adding in a few things like Misato thanking the Admiral for saving her life, as it's been a few chapters coming, sand of course, adding in the scene from Episode 22 where Asuka tries to sleep with Kaji. Her infatuation will continue, but she'll be pursuing other interest instead of just Kaji.

There are a few Jaws references in the chapter that I added in just for fun, considering Gaghiel is a giant shark ray thing, it only made sense.

Not much else to say, other than next chapter, Asuka and Mari met up, and Asuka also meets Rei, to similar disastrous results from the anime and manga. The next chapter picks up on the same day, during lunch, as both Mari and Rei are simply late. Rei because Ritsuko was testing her all night, and Mari because she is lazy and overslept.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	9. Dance Dance Revolution; Israfel Divides

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode IV: The Last Hope

* * *

Chapter 9 – Dance Dance Revolution; Israfel Divides  
September 1, 2015 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Shinji was sitting quietly in class, while Nebukawa no Sensei droned on about life before Second Impact. No one was even paying attention, even Hikari had given up listening to the endless repeat of information coming from the teacher. Shinji kept nervously looking over at the new arrival to the class, who, just hours before, had sent Toji, Kensuke and himself into a tizzy by showing up quite unexpectedly.

The flurry of boys still staring at Asuka had yet to die down, even most of the girls were staring at her, although for a completely different reason.

'So, Asuka's in my class, with the other EVA pilots…' Shinji thought. 'How very strange. I wish Misato would have mentioned something, but considering she had actually spilled the sake on herself last night, she was probably in no condition to remember anyway, so like usual, she forgets to tell me the important stuff.' Shinji sighed as she glanced at Asuka. 'I mean, Toji and Kensuke have it mostly wrong, she's not that bad… sure she's about as abrasive as extra course sandpaper, but I know that's just a front. I could tell while we were inside Unit–02. She was scared, it was in her voice, God knows I'd recognize fear, I've been afraid far too many times to not recognize it… but it was odd, one minute she'd be angry and yelling, and the next she would be truly afraid. I know she's not a bad person, I just know it. Somewhere under that cute and angry façade is the person she really is… and I don't know why I think that, I just seem to know it…' Shinji sighed deeply. 'And then her EVA felt odd… right before we forced that thing's mouth open, I felt the same sensation I felt before Unit–01 went berserk… did the EVA help us open the mouth, because I don't think we could've done it ourselves… even with our combined strength, I don't think we could accomplished it on our own… I wonder why the EVAs are like that, what makes us able to sync?' Shinji looked over at Asuka again. 'I don't know why, but for some reason, I'm actually glad she's in class with me, not just that there's another pilot here to spread the work around a bit, but she just reminds of the girl from my dreams… that hair… those eyes… its uncanny. I guess if I had to call it something, I'd call it a crush… but I can't really define it. I'm not going to mention it to Misato, she'd never leave me alone about it, and not Mari either, I don't want to be teased or anything from her even if she does have some good advice, and I don't know if I should mention something to Hikari, she would be the best choice after all, I wonder what she'd say. It's not like I can say anything to Rei, she wouldn't understand, or she might, Rei's full of surprises… Jesus… all these girls to talk to, and I can't figure out where to get advice from…'

Asuka was sitting to Shinji's right and was also deep in thought. 'Mein Gott, this teacher is boring as shit. Does he always drone on like this? If he does, I may contemplate jumping out that window over there.' Asuka glanced around. 'Look at that, everyone is staring at me, except for Shinji and his friends… so this class is full of perverts… this sucks… I don't see anyone else here that looks like an EVA pilot, at least not anyone that was with Shinji when I got here besides the two stooges, and Hikari… they must be sick or something, or just afraid of my greatness…' Asuka smirked. 'I can't wait till the next Angel attacks either, I want to go out there and impress Shinji… and show him who the best pilot is. It doesn't really count, that last Angel, he helped me, so I couldn't show him I can kill one all on my own. The next Angel, I'll put it in its place, and Shinji too. I won't let any of these other pilots hold me back.' Asuka glanced over at Shinji. 'I don't know what it is about him… he looks so nice, and I want to be around him now, but I still want to be alone… it doesn't make any sense. But at least I'll get to live with him, which might be nice… why am I thinking about him like that! I hate doing that, I've been doing it since I met him, and it's really annoying! Why do I have to be bogged down by my feelings?!' Asuka shook her head slightly. 'Thinking of feelings, my EVA felt kinda funny the other day, like something else was in there with me, besides Shinji. It seems kinda funny, but the EVA is just a big doll, so why would I feel anything else…'

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

Asuka was interrupted from her thoughts by the bell. 'Thank god that's over…'

"Rise… Bow… Sit!" Hikari ordered in her usual tone.

Asuka saw Toji run out of the room to get some food, while Shinji got up and wandered to the window, and Asuka followed him.

Shinji stared out the window worriedly. 'I hope Mari and Rei are alright.'

"Guten morgen, Shinji." Asuka said sweetly.

"Hi, Asuka." Shinji replied.

"What are you looking for?" Asuka asked.

"Just my two friends…" Shinji said. "They weren't here this morning."

"The other two pilots by chance?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, Mari and Rei." Shinji replied. "I'm just a bit worried about Mari, Rei's sick a lot, but Mari usually drags herself to school, I talked to her last night too… oh never mind…" Shinji left the window and headed for the door.

"What did you see?" Asuka asked.

"Just who I was looking for!" Shinji waived.

Asuka followed Shinji outside to where someone was sitting with a book, a pale blue haired girl was reading a book, and who Shinji was talking towards. Asuka hurried her pace and grabbed Shinji before he made it to the girl.

"So, which one is that?" Asuka asked.

"What are you talking about, Asuka?" Shinji said as he pushed her hand off. "And would you mind letting me go?"

"What are you, stupid?" Asuka smirked. "Is that the First Child, or the Proto Child?"

"Oh, that's Rei, she's the First Child." Shinji said.

"Excellent, let me introduce myself!" Asuka said, wandering over, and inadvertently blocking Rei's light.

"Asuka, wait!" Shinji said, standing frozen in fear at what might happen. He looked on as Asuka walked over.

Rei moved over to get a better view of the book, and Asuka called out to her. "So, am I to assume you're Rei Ayanami, the pilot of Unit–00?" Asuka asked. "I'm Asuka Langley Soryu, the designated pilot of Unit–02!"

Rei glanced at her and saw Shinji frozen in place several feet away. "And I assume you garnered this information about me from Shinji?" Rei replied.

"You're very perceptive, aren't you?" Asuka said.

"I have been known to have moments of clarity, yes." Rei replied.

"Well, seeing as we're both EVA pilots, why don't we be good friends?" Asuka said.

"What is the purpose of being friends with you?" Rei asked.

"Because it would be convenient!" Asuka exclaimed.

"But friendships of convenience are not friendships at all, are they Pilot Soryu?" Rei asked.

"What moron told you that?!" Asuka exclaimed.

"No one has told me anything." Rei closed her book. "My friends have _shown_ me that."

"Your friends?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, her friends!" Someone else shouted.

"Oh, hello Mari." Rei said. "Did you oversleep?"

"Yeah, no alarm." Mari said, rubbing the back of her head. "Forgot to turn the damn thing on." Mari turned to Asuka. "So, blueberry, is this soulless ginger bugging you?"

"No, she is merely a mild irritation." Rei replied as she opened her book again.

"You think I'm a what?!" Asuka shouted.

Mari smirked. "I think she said a mild irritation."

"And who are you exactly?" Asuka asked angrily.

"That's a good question _ginger_ , who are you?" Mari asked.

"I'm Asuka Langley Soryu, the designated pilot of Unit–02." Asuka said. "And the best Evangelion pilot around!"

'Kyoko's daughter eh…' Mari thought. 'She acts a bit like her mother too, so proud, and she should be… and that hair is something else. But if she's truly her mother's daughter, she can take the sarcasm as well as she can dish it out…' Mari smiled. "Ah, I've heard a lot about you." Mari bowed deeply. "Ah, so the self–crowned princess of the EVA pilots has decided to grace us with her presence, it is an honor to meet you your highness." Mari straightened up. "I am your humble servant, Mari Illustrious Makinami, Proto Child and the designated pilot of Unit–XP."

"Are you fucking with me?" Asuka asked.

"You catch on quick, princess." Mari replied. "You're pretty smart."

"You bet your ass I'm smart!" Asuka said proudly. "I'm a certified genius! I've already graduated from college and everything with a master's degree in engineering!"

'She's just like how I used to be, angry at the world, and everything… she even rushed through school too… what a waste.' Mari thought. "Then why bother us with your glowing and oppressive attitude?" Mari asked. "Can't you go and be an important engineer… oh wait, those don't exist do they. You may as well have gotten a history degree."

"Please, and what degrees do you have, four eyes?!" Asuka shouted.

"None, but at least when I get mine, they'll actually be useful unlike yours…" Mari quipped. 'Far more than you could even imagine, princess…' Mari thought.

"Bitch!" Asuka shouted, as the two girls stared daggers at each other.

Shinji looked over and saw the look on Asuka's face as she stared down Mari. 'That can't be good…' Shinji thought as he ran over.

"Hi guys…" Shinji said nervously.

"Oh, puppy, how are you?" Mari said. "I've just met the flotsam you brought back from your trip to the seaside. I must say she's a bit bossy."

"Well, she's not all that bad Mari." Shinji said sheepishly.

Mari patted his shoulder. "Oh, Shinji, you're just being your kind little self, and it's quite cute." Mari pecked him on the cheek, causing Asuka to look at her angrily.

"Hey, I'm standing right here!" Asuka said indignantly.

"We can't miss you, princess, you have a bright sign on your head, courtesy of that hair of yours!" Mari quipped.

"Is there something wrong with my hair?!" Asuka shouted.

"Yeah, the color." Mari said.

"Mari!" Shinji said angrily. "Don't make fun of someone's hair color!"

Mari's eyebrow raised. "Shinji…"

"You can't make fun of someone for being different, Mari!" Shinji said emphatically. "It's not kind, Mari, people get made fun of for stuff like that very unfairly, I was, and I don't think it should happen to _anyone_!"

"I'm sorry Shinji…" Mari muttered. "I didn't mean to offend you…" Mari's face fell. 'Wow, I guess he does have some feelings in there for her… even if he was talking about himself…'

'He defended me…' Asuka thought. 'He defended someone he's only know a day… and he said people shouldn't be made fun for being different… it's like déjà vu… for some reason…'

'So Shinji is defending Soryu… he is quite a nice person.' Rei thought. 'He must be that protective of all his friends if it come down to it.'

"It's ok, Mari." Shinji said. "Just don't do it again."

"I'll do my best." Mari said happily.

"Oh great, the pigtailed girl will try her best." Asuka said sarcastically. "Will wonders ever cease?"

"Oh, look, she's a sarcastic one." Mari said. "How cute…"

Rei looked up. "Mari, did Dr. Akagi inform you about the sync tests."

"Oh, shit, yeah, those are this afternoon aren't they?" Mari said. "Yeah, my first one in such a long time too. And my first one here in Tokyo–3 anyway…"

"Wait we have sync tests after school today?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, no one told me." Shinji said.

"Misato knew, didn't she?" Mari asked. "Dr. Akagi mentioned something."

"I'm sure she did, she got drunk last night, tends to make her forget things…" Shinji started.

"No need to explain more, Shinji." Mari said.

"Yeah…" Shinji muttered. "Thanks…"

"So what time are they?" Asuka demanded.

"Right after school." Mari said. "So we go straight to NERV from here."

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

"Wonderful…" Shinji said as the four of them traipsed inside.

–––

Shinji was waiting patiently for the girls to arrive at the Test Plugs, they were still in the locker getting dressed, or that is to say, Mari was still getting dressed while Asuka relished in Mari's struggle to get the plugsuit on. Sure, she had done this before but with a different model of plugsuit, and not this bulky looking piece of shit she had before her.

"So, you've done this before have you?" Asuka said sarcastically as her plugsuit formed around her.

"I said it's been a while." Mari said she struggled into her plugsuit. "Besides, mine isn't as user friendly as yours there, princess." Mari said. "Would you like to trade?" Mari looked down. 'Well it is difficult to get dressed with two attractive girls standing near me…' Mari thought. 'Shame too, I wish I could look at Shinji too, then it'd be a really distracting party…'

"As if!" Asuka exclaimed. "I wouldn't want to be caught dead wearing that thing."

Mari's plugsuit was quite different from the others. It actually looked like a prototype plugsuit, and much different than the one she wore for her test to link with Lilith's Core. It was predominately tan in color, with the tan portions being quilted for some reason, with the torso and shoulders having what appeared to be another layer added on top of the under suit. This was mostly green in color, with pale yellow stripes covering the breasts and accentuating the tops of her thighs. There were two gold disks on the suit, one attached to either side of her thighs. There were also gold connectors on her collarbone, and a large metal looking collar around her neck. Above that was the rest of the neck covering, which matched Mari's blue headband. The non–green parts of the torso were the collarbone and shoulders, which were a deeper green, much closer to black, and a small, blood red orb was situated between her breasts. In addition to the differences on the body of the plugsuit, the gloves and forearms were also green, but also featured large mechanical looking devices on the forearms, each with three fiber optic cable connectors for her Evangelion's synthetic limbs. She also had a bulky looking helmet like she did for the original test. It had a large, oversized, "W" shaped, red visor that said "EVANGELION UNIT–XP" on it. The rest of the helmet was a metallic green, and

Once Mari was able to pull the unruly suit on and activate it she shushed Asuka and grinned as she straightened up and looked in the mirror. "I don't think we could switch anyway." Mari purred. "Our bodies are a lot different, and my tits would be so smooshed by your… _flat_ plugsuit."

"What?!" Asuka said. "My figure looks just as good as yours does!"

"Keep telling yourself that, princess." Mari quipped as she bounced her breasts. "Some things simply need to fill in more to be on par with my… figure."

Asuka flipped Mari off and stormed out, and it looked as though she was covering her chest as she walked outside. Rei stayed behind and looked curiously at Mari.

"Mari, why would the size of your breasts mean anything?" Rei asked.

"Rei, don't call them that." Mari said. "There are so many different names for them besides breasts…" Mari replied with a sigh.

"Such as?" Rei inquired.

Mari smirked. "Well, if you're sure you want to know."

"I did ask, and knowing how you are with… certain things… I am prepared for whatever answers you give me." Rei replied.

"Well you asked for it, blueberry." Mari said, grinning widely. "Well there are so many… boobs, tits, titties, cans, jugs, knockers, melons, Milk Duds, bongos, tatas, chesticles, headlights, sweater stretchers, twin peaks, tater tots, jingle bells, party pillows …" Mari rattled off quickly before she was cut off.

"I believe that is enough for now, Mari." Rei said with a tired look on her face. "I did not realize there were that many…"

Mari chuckled. "Well, a lot of people find them important, but I just think they're here for decoration unless you breastfeed." Mari quipped.

"Seeing as it is their biological purpose, I would agree with you." Rei replied.

"Well, let's get out there and go sync, huh?" Mari said happily.

–––

"That was boring as shit!" Mari exclaimed as she stripped off her plugsuit. "I cant believe we were in there for three fucking hours!"

"It not our fault, four eyes!" Asuka shouted. "So quit complaining! Sometimes the tests take a while!"

"Well they shouldn't, it's not exactly rocket science!" Mari replied.

"I believe Dr. Akagi was trying to gauge our sync ratios comparatively to each other's." Rei replied. "It could have been far worse."

Mari threw her school uniform after simply toweling off.

"That's fucking gross, Makinami!" Asuka said. "You're not going to shower?!"

"Why bother, I'm just going to shower when I get home anyway, why hold myself up here in this stuffy old place." Mari said. "If we hurry, we can leave before tomorrow."

"Please, this is what happens with sync test." Asuka said proudly. "It's a boring part of our job, but a part of the job nonetheless."

"Oh, look, the princess is quoting the great NERV scripture to us." Mari said. "Why don't you give the sanctimoniousness a rest for a while, it's kinda grating on my nerves."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Asuka asked angrily.

"Well, from what I've heard, Shinji has the best score out of all of us." Mari said. "And I bet that hasn't changed at all, even after today, so stop acting all high and mighty, Soryu."

"High and mighty?!" Asuka exclaimed.

"Well from what Shinji told me last night, you think you're the best EVA pilot around." Mari said. "Go kill an Angel on your own and then go talk to Shinji about being the best."

"Shut up you!"

"Oh, whatever, princess." Mari said walking away. "You'll just have to learn to be number two, and seeing as it's your Unit's actual number, you're already labeled appropriately."

"Mari you do not believe me to be zero o you?" Rei asked.

"No, blueberry, you're worth a lot more than the angry girl over here." Mari said. "It's that kind and pleasant disposition you have that makes you far nicer to be around."

Rei felt her face get warm. 'That was a very nice thing for Mari to say…'

"Are you saying I'm unpleasant?!" Asuka shouted.

"Well, the yelling doesn't help…" Mari said, sighing deeply. "Hey, blueberry, don't take too long." Mari said as she walked out. "Shinji and I will walk you home, an innocent girl like you shouldn't wander the streets alone."

"Alright, Mari." Rei said as she went to the shower.

Asuka followed her and asked her something. "Hey First Child, why do call four eyes by her name, and my by my family name?"

"Because Mari and I are friends, as are Shinji and I." Rei replied. "We are not friends, Soryu, and your attitude isn't the best in those regards." Rei grabbed her towel and left. "Perhaps if you acted a bit nicer, I would be more inclined to want to be your friend."

"What…" Asuka said.

"Perhaps you simply need to adjust to your change in status and accept Shinji is the better pilot, then you may become a nicer person." Rei said as she left to get dressed.

'I'm not unpleasant, that four eyed jerk is just being spiteful.' Asuka thought. 'I am the best pilot. I've been training the longest, I have great simulator scores, and y sync score is really good. So some novice pilot has some luck and got to take out some Angels. If I'd been here, he wouldn't have gotten a chance to kill anything.' Asuka looked out towards the locker area. 'I wonder why Ayanami said that stuff though, it seemed like she was trying to be polite… but it still hurt to be told that stuff… but it's better for me anyway, I don't need people…' Asuka heard the door of locker room open and heard Rei be greeted warmly by Shinji and Mari, and then it closed again, leaving Asuka in the shower all alone. 'Or maybe I do…'

* * *

September 4, 2015 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School

Kensuke was sitting in the grass with stacks of photos next to him. He had a small sign next to him that read "Great Deal! ¥30 per photo!" Next to him on the ground were several numbered boxes, each containing a different picture of Asuka. Kensuke had spent the last few days taking the pictures wherever he could. Of her drinking water, walking around, swimming in gym class. He'd even snapped a few photos of the girls changing in the classroom by climbing surreptitiously up the tree next to the window. He was selling the photos he got of the girls in their bras and panties, but he was keeping the photos he shot that were less clothed to himself.

He had sold several dozen photos already, and Toji had declined to help him, but also wouldn't tell anyone what he was doing because he's no rat. Kensuke was just packing up when Mari wandered over. Kensuke went white as he tried to gather the pictures up quickly, but Mari stopped him.

"Why so nervous, pervert?" Mari asked.

"No reason!" Kensuke said worriedly.

"Really, then why are you hiding all the photos of princess?" Mari asked.

"I don't got no photos." Kensuke said.

"Yeah, that's not what I heard." Mari said. "I want the one where you have all the girls changing."

"Why? Are you into girls or something?" Kensuke asked perversely.

"No, I saw I looked pretty good in it and I want a copy of each of the three for myself." Mari said. "Here's your ¥90 to prove I'm serious."

"How did you find out?" Kensuke asked.

"Well, I saw a bunch of guys all hard over something, and I took a peek." Mari said sheepishly. "Besides, I don't mind when people take pictures of me, I'm always flattered."

"You do realize you're not the subject of these photos?" Kensuke said.

"Yes, the exotic redhead is." Mari said. "But I don't care about that. Just take my money and give me what I asked for!"

"Fine, fine, here you go." Kensuke said. "Just keep this quiet, I don't want to die by Asuka's hand."

"Really, and then explain I knew about it?" Mari said sarcastically. "Not likely. Bye pervert!" Mari said as she walked away, leaving Kensuke in complete disbelief.

–––

When Mari got to her small studio apartment that night she was glad. She took the photos out of her bag to look at them.

'Wow, all these girls are so cute… it's weird, I'm attracted to them as much as I am to Shinji, well not exactly anyway… I think… and I still love Yui, so what does that make me?' Mari thought. 'I don't get it, I see them all as attractive… I guess it's nice I could get off to anyone I wanted really… so many options… but where do I find material? These three pictures aren't going to do me forever… I wish I knew where my old stash was from college, I had so many pictures I could look at, and a few pirated VHS tapes from the U.S. too… I mean I wasn't like this when I was a kid, I wasn't really attracted to anyone ever, at least before Yui… hell the first person I ever fell in love with was Yui, she was so nice to me always… and I don't think I love Shinji even though he's a lot like her, and Rei certainly looks a lot like Yui, and seeing her naked always throws me for a loop, and Shinji's seen her too, which is good for him… and then there's Asuka, and she's really attractive too… this is just too much!' Mari shook her head. 'I can't think like that, I don't want to get caught. I remember what they used to do to people like me back when I was a kid. It wasn't pleasant. I just don't want to be found out, so I have to keep this a secret…' Mari looked the photos again. 'I really like the way I look in these too, and how everyone looks really. I know these are a bit perverted, but I don't really care. I haven't masturbated in apparently 17 years, and I've had the urge to touch myself since I came back, but with nothing to look at, it's been a nonstarter… but with these, that might not be a problem anymore…' Mari slid her hand down the front of her skirt. 'Hmm I was right, not a problem anymore… well I guess I have some work to do…'

A short time later Mari slunk off to the shower, and when she got out she gently picked up the pictures and placed them safely in her notebook and went to bed.

* * *

September 5, 2015 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

Seeing as it was once again lunch time, Mari grabbed her bag and wandered over to where Shinji was sitting. Rei had gone to get lunch with Toji, and Kensuke had disappeared somewhere again, and Hikari was talking to a few students about having not cleaned the classroom properly, so Shinji was alone.

"So, Shinji, what are you doing?" Mari asked. "No bento today?"

"No, I ate it during class, it was the only way I could stay awake." Shinji replied. "Today was so boring I almost fell asleep."

"Are you tired or something?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, Misato came home really late, and really drunk." Shinji said. "She said something about being alone and hating someone and that Ritsuko was being a bitch, then she threw up all over the floor. I dragged her to the shower and ran cold water on her to wake her up." Shinji chuckled. "She wasn't exactly happy at that, then she was thankfully able to dress herself and go to bed while I cleaned up the puke on the floor."

"That's awful!" Mari said.

"Yeah, so when it came time to wake up, I wasn't exactly happy to go to school." Shinji said. "I even forgot my bag this morning, or at least my laptop and my books… I have a pen, an empty bento, and some gum in my bag. Can I borrow your notebook? I need to write some things down before I forget."

Mari fished her notebook out of her bag. "Here, write as much as you need to."

Shinji flipped open the notebook just as Mari remembered what she had put in there last night… the pictures of Asuka and the other girls changing. Shinji happened to open the notebook to the exact page the picture were on and turned a deep shade of crimson before turning to Mari and looking worriedly at her.

'Shit…' Mari thought. 'That was careless of me…'

"Mari, what are these?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, nothing, puppy." Mari said. "I found them somewhere."

"I don't believe you…" Shinji said sternly. "Are these of… Asuka?!" Shinji looked at her. "Who did you buy these from Mari?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about Shinji." Mari said unconvincingly.

Shinji tucked the photos into the notebook and slid it into his bag and gently grabbed Mari's wrist. "Let's go somewhere else to talk." Shinji said.

–––

Shinji had dragged Mari to the roof to talk. He made sure the door to the roof was latched from the outside so no one could disturb them. He turned and looked at her sternly.

"Mari, why do you have pictures of our classmates like this?" Shinji asked.

'I can't tell him the truth, he may think of me as a freak…' Mari thought. 'I mean Yui was very accepting of things like this, I think, but Shinji might not be… I don't want to lose his respect…' Mari looked nervously at Shinji but didn't say anything.

Shinji's tone changed. "Mari, I'm not mad, just concerned." Shinji said kindly. "I don't care who you're attracted to, I just want to know where you got these from so it can be stopped. This kind of thing is creepy you know."

'Shinji doesn't care who I like? But he said it's creepy…' Mari thought. 'I guess I should tell him after all…' Mari blushed a bit. "You caught me Shinji, I'm attracted to girls… I hope you don't think less of me for it."

"Mari, why would I? We're friends." Shinji said. "It's not like liking girls is a bad thing."

"But you said it was creepy…" Mari said with tears in her eyes.

"Mari, the picture is creepy, not being attracted to girls." Shinji said. "For someone to take this, they had to climb the tree next to the classroom."

"Oh… I thought you meant… me…" Mari muttered.

"Mari, you're not creepy at all!" Shinji exclaimed. "I'm sorry you thought that, I'm not like that! I could care less who loves who, love is really all that matters really."

"You mean that?" Mari asked, wiping the tears from her face.

"Of course I do." Shinji said. "Girls liking girls isn't a bad thing at all, the same goes for guys liking guys, or anything else in between, it's all love."

"But I'm not just attracted to girls, I'm attracted to boys too, well just you, but I just haven't met anyone else I like that's a boy…" Mari stammered.

Shinji just stared at her in stunned silence.

"Oh… I've said the wrong thing…" Mari said as she started to cry.

"No, don't cry, Mari, I was just surprised!" Shinji said enveloping Mari in a hug. "Don't cry, please, I didn't mean to make you cry… I'm sorry!"

Mari shuttered when he spoke, but was glad he didn't yell. "You're surprised?" Mari returned his hug and held him close. 'I can feel his heart beating so fast…'

"That you're attracted to… me?" Shinji asked. "Yeah… I am… are you really?"

"Yeah, a little." Mari said nuzzling his neck. "Are you that surprised?"

"Yeah, no one's really thought about me that way before…" Shinji muttered.

"Well they should." Mari said. "I just have a weak spot for kind hearted people…" Mari smiled. 'Like your mother…' Mari thought.

"Mari, its ok to like anyone you want. You don't have to be afraid or anything." Shinji said. "I'll keep it a secret though, seeing as you're not that comfortable with people knowing."

"That's a really sweet thing to say, Shinji." Mari said happily. "You really are a good friend."

"Mari, why did you get those pictures anyway?" Shinji asked.

"Well, that's a little embarrassing to talk about." Mari said, blushing heavily.

Shinji felt her face get warm, seeing as they were still hugging. "Mari, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No… I can't lie to you Shinji." Mari said. 'At least not about this, but the other stuff I know, I have to keep it from you…' Mari thought. 'I don't think you could handle who I really am yet… or ever…' Mari let go of Shinji and sat on the ground. Shinji followed suit. "Shinji, I bought the pictures from Kensuke so I could go home and masturbate to them. I thought it was the only way, since I don't really have access to any other… materials…" Mari blushed. "I lied and told him I wanted them because I was in them… I'm really sorry Shinji, I didn't think they were so bad… the girls looked so pretty…"

"I get it Mari…" Shinji said, blushing himself. "Sometimes the itch t needs to be scratched…" Shinji coughed a bit. "But, these pictures are an invasion of privacy, and if Kensuke got pictures like this, I know he's go even worse one, considering he is pervert." Shinji took out Mari's notebook. "I think the girls in them all look pretty too, but you still need to get rid of them, Mari. I know you'll do the right thing."

"Thanks Shinji, but what will I do for… you know… wanking material…" Mari said blushing again.

"Mari, don't you know there's porn online?" Shinji said.

"Wait, the internet… has porn?" Mari said. 'Shit… a lot has changed in 17 years…' Mari thought.

"Yeah, there's loads of porn online. I can show you after school." Shinji said. "As long as you don't find that as awkward as I do."

"I'd be happy to go on a date and watch porn with you Shinji." Mari said giggling madly. "It sounds like a very sensual experience!"

"No, I didn't mean it like that, I meant…" Shinji blushed. "It's not to watch, just to show you where to find it…"

"Still, it's a sweet gesture." Mari said.

"Yeah, well, it's better than buying photographs from a pervert…" A sudden look came over Shinji, as though he had just realized something. "Wait, you said you bought them…" Shinji got a worried look. "Wait, that's what Kensuke's been doing?!" Shinji stood up. "He's selling pictures of Asuka, isn't he?!"

Mari nodded. "Yeah, he has loads of them, those are the worst however…"

"That doesn't matter, if Asuka finds out, she'll literally kill him, and then she'll assume I'm part of it!" Shinji said worriedly. "We have to go get Hikari and stop this before she finds out!"

"Why Hikari?" Mari asked.

"Because, she's the only one that can really scare him. Apparently she knows some secret about him that would be pretty devastating to him if she told!" Shinji said as he ran off towards the door.

"Hey, puppy!" Mari put her notebook in her bag and ran after him. "Wait up!"

–––

"Hikari, we have a problem." Shinji said rushing up to her while she was eating with Mari in tow.

"What's up Shinji?" Hikari glanced at Mari. "Have you two done something you weren't supposed to?"

"No, it's just, Mari told me about Kensuke…" Shinji lowered his voice to a whisper. "Selling inappropriate photos of Asuka he took."

Hikari's face stiffened. "Shinji, how does Mari know exactly?"

"It's not my secret to tell, Hikari." Shinji said sternly. "But she bought a couple because she was in them… but she didn't mean anything by it don't be mad at her, ok?"

"How could I be mad at her?" Hikari asked. "But if she wanted a picture of herself, why buy it from him?"

"I don't know, she's eccentric at times, you know that." Shinji replied. "But shouldn't we go, I don't know, stop him?"

"Yeah, you're right, we should go and stop him…" Hikari said. "Alright, let's go deal with this…" Hikari got up and left her lunch.

"Uh… Hikari, if you're not going to finish that, can I have some?" Mari asked. "I'm really hungry."

"Sure, Mari." Hikari said. "But you may want to stay here, I don't want you to get caught having told me."

"Sure." Mari said happily.

"Come on, Shinji." Hikari said.

"Wait, why do I have to go?" Shinji asked.

Hikari smiled. "That way he'll be scared I'll tell you his secret, that'll you'll then tell to Mari because you're such close friends, and then he'll be really embarrassed."

–––

Hikari and Shinji found Kensuke under a tree, far from the school building. They decided to sneak up behind him and scare him.

"KENSUKE!" Hikari shouted.

Kensuke jumped so severely, he knocked over several of his boxes, spreading photos all over the ground. He tried to get up, but he slid on the loos e photos and fell back to the ground quite hard.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Kensuke?!" Hikari asked.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about…" Kensuke said.

"Bullshit!" Hikari said. "You're selling picture of Asuka! Pictures you took, like a pervert! Sneaking around and catching her unawares!"

"I did not!" Kensuke lied.

Hikari opened several of the boxes on the ground. "Really? You're a bad liar Kensuke." Hikari said. "So, what are all these, publicity photos? No one does this to my friend!"

"No, they're just a hobby of mine." Kensuke said.

Shinji opened several more boxes until he found the ones he was looking for, the ones of the classroom with the girls changing for gym. "So what about these?" Shinji said, showing them to Hikari.

"You fucking pervert!" Hikari shouted. "You climbed the fucking tree to spy on the girls changing?! You're sick!"

"I am not!" Kensuke dropped his innocent pretense. "I did it to get a good shot of everything! People want to see the hot foreign girl, and If I make a bit of cash off the deal, who cares?! No one's getting hurt, are they?!"

"Kensuke, this isn't alright!" Shinji shouted. "It's very far from it! Do you realize you're invading their privacy?!"

"No, they're in a public place!" Kensuke said defensively.

"No we aren't Kensuke!" Hikari shouted. "We're changing for gym!"

"So, you all look pretty hot naked." Kensuke said blushing as Hikari moved to kick him, Shinji held her back.

"Shinji let go!" Hikari said as she struggled against him. "Let go!"

"No, you're not going to get in trouble for hitting him." Shinji said. "You're going to expose him for whatever secret you know about him, remember?" Shinji looked at Kensuke. "Where are the other pictures, Kensuke?" Shinji said sternly. "The nude ones. I know you took them now, you wouldn't pass up that chance."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Kensuke said.

"Bullshit!" Hikari shouted. "You did take them, I can see it in your pervy little eyes! I'm going to expose you and beat you up!" Hikari said angrily. "He deserves it for whatever pictures he took!"

Kensuke sat there in shock, and looked very afraid of Hikari. She had never been like this before, and it was quite a scary sight to behold.

"Hikari, stop!" Shinji said forcibly. "He may be a pervert, but hitting him won't solve anything!" Shinji said. "Remember what you said to me that day? Don't be like that, look at him, he's scared."

"Fine, Shinji, you win." Hikari said. "But I want to talk to him alone for a minute. I promise not to hurt him."

"Sure, I'll go watch from over there." Shinji said pointing to where he was walking to.

"Ok, listen, Kensuke." Hikari said angrily. "I'm very disappointed in you as a person, and I really do want to hit you right now, but because of what pain Shinji was put though before he came here I won't hit you, for his sake. You owe him for that bigtime." Hikari paused and glared at Kensuke some more. "So, first, I want to ask you one question. Do you think she would approve of this behavior?"

Kensuke's eyes widened in shock. He looked up at Hikari with a guilty look on his face. "I doubt it…" Kensuke muttered.

"Then why do it?" Hikari asked. "Do you think you'll win her over by being a fucking pervert all the time? That doesn't impress girls you know."

"Yeah, but it's all I've got…" Kensuke said.

"Well, you're going to have to act better if you want her to notice you!" Hikari pointed out. "Now, here's what you're going to do. You're going to buy back all those pictures. If it takes more money than you've earned, you'll have to ask me for the rest. It won't be a loan, as long as you get all the pictures back. I'll go with you to each pervert you sold them to scare them into selling them back to you. Mari's are already taken care of, so you can keep that money. Then we go and get the… naked pictures… and burn them and all in the rest, with all the negatives and any copies you have stashed in the incinerator, got it?"

"Yeah…" Kensuke said. "But please, don't tell…"

"If you do all this, then I'll keep your secret safely tucked away." Hikari said. "But it'll be a while, if ever, before I trust you again."

"I understand… thanks Hikari…" Kensuke said, standing up. "I guess I should apologize to you though. I'm sorry I took pictures of you naked, I didn't think anything was really wrong with it, but I guess I was mistaken."

Hikari hugged Kensuke lightly and let go. "I accept your apology, but we have some work to do, don't we?"

"Yeah, a bit…" Kensuke said.

Shinji walked over. "So, Hikari, all set?"

"Yep, we'll buy all the pictures back, and Asuka will never know, as I'll make sure everyone is aware." Hikari said. "And you'll deal with Mari's?"

"Yeah, as soon as we're out of school, I promise." Shinji replied.

–––

Ritsuko was going over the data collected during Unit–02's fight with Gaghiel. She was taking a sip of her coffee when someone snuck up from behind her and wrapped their arms around her which make her gasp.

"Still a world class workaholic, eh Ritsuko?" Kaji asked.

'So, he's still here, eh? Well, I may hate him, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't fuck him, and seeing as Misato is so in denial about her feelings to him' Ritsuko thought. "Ah, Kaji, it's been a long time."

"Yes, it has, and yet you still seem to not have a boyfriend." Kaji said, stroking her face lightly. "Perhaps the men of NERV have simply lost their mind to leave such a rose like yourself untouched and lonely."

"Well, Kaji, it's nice to see you haven't changed." Ritsuko said.

"Perhaps I could be the one to pluck the rose…" Kaji started.

"Oh, it's nice you're putting such smooth moves on me, Kaji, but I think the face pressed against the glass there would disagree."

Kaji looked up to see Misato seething and staring angrily at him.

"Oh, Katsuragi… she's fine." Kaji said chuckling. "She doesn't have any claims to me anymore, I'm a free man."

"That's what you think…" Ritsuko muttered as Misato stormed inside.

"What the hell are you still doing here?!" Misato asked angrily. "You handed over Asuka and Unit–02, can't you just be on your damn way?!"

"Well, I've received orders from the Commander to stay awhile. He needs me to be the Chief inspector I am, so it's all settled. I won't be leaving for a while, so you'll have to get used to me being around again."

"I ain't gonna get used to nothing!" Misato said angrily.

"Oh, and the Commander also gave this." Kaji pulled a letter out of his pocket. "I guess he approved Asuka's transfer into your care. You're the proud new mom of a temperamental teenager. Congratulations." Kaji smiled. "She's a wonderful girl to be around."

"Just go away!" Misato shouted angrily. "I was a teenaged girl once too, I can handle her."

"Why so upset, Katsuragi? Is it about Asuka?" Kaji asked. "I hope it's got nothing to do with poor, innocent Ritsuko over there."

"Seriously, you're barely here a few days, and you're already putting the moves on women?" Misato said angrily. "You're unbelievable!"

"Why are you so mad? I'm single and can do what I'd like with whomever says yes." Kaji said. "I thought there was nothing more between us, Katsuragi." Kaji smirked. "Unless you haven't gotten over me…"

"FUCK YOU!" Misato shoved Kaji into the wall. "Even if I was young when it happened, it was still worst mistake of my life!"

"Et tu, Katsuragi?" Kaji said, feigning he'd been stabbed. "Now, now, don't be so upset with yourself, you'll get wrinkles."

"SHUT UP!" Misato shouted as an alarm klaxon went off.

A message came over the intercom from Aoba. " _Level–2 battle stations, a Pattern Orange has been detected, Dr. Akagi and Major Katsuragi, report to Central Dogma at once!_ "

"You've got to be kidding me… another fucking Angel?" Misato said.

"I guess so, Pattern Orange tends to lead straight to Pattern Blue." Ritsuko said. "Which means more mess to clean up…"

"Well then, I hope it's not really the Seventh Angel." Kaji said. "So soon after the Sixth… how very concerning…."

–––

Misato, Ritsuko, and Kaji rushed into Central Dogma as the report was coming in.

"Cruiser _Haruna_ reports a large submerged object off the Kii Peninsula." Hyuga reported. "It's about 20m below the surface, moving to shore at 25kn."

"Data coming in now, Sub–Commander." Maya reported.

"Analyzing wave form pattern now, sir." Hyuga said. "Confirmed! Pattern Blue!" Hyuga reported. "It's an Angel!"

"Level–1 battle stations!" Fuyutsuki ordered as Gendo arrived in typical fashion, stony faced and unaffected by the events around him.

"Designate as the Seventh Angel, and prepare to sortie Unit–01 and Unit–02." Gendo ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Misato reached for the phones. "Yes, I need an emergency pick up of all pilots, now!" Misato ordered. "Double time!"

–––

Two flying wings were in the air heading for the shore line. Unit–01 and Unit–02 were in the air, pilots waiting patiently to deploy while Misato explained their plan.

" _Due the extensive battle with the Fifth Angel, most of Tokyo–3's intercept system is out of commission. As of right now, we're at 24% effectiveness. And for the purposes of killing Angels, it may as well be zero._ " Misato said over the comm. " _We're deploying Unit–01 and Unit–02 to intercept and destroy the target before it comes to shore. So, we'll launch you and power you up on the surface, you'll move to intercept and take turns attacking this thing, is that understood?_ "

" _Yes Misato!_ " Shinji said.

"You got it Misato!" Asuka replied. "This sucks, it's my first fight in Japan, and Misato won't let me fight the Angel solo…" Asuka bemoaned. "Why do I have to bring baka Shinji over with me…"

" _Asuka, its standard procedure, get over it._ " Shinji said. " _Trust me, two on one will be a lot better than one on one._ "

"Oh, shut up!" Asuka shouted. "And let me tell you something else Third Child, don't get in my way either!"

" _I won't do that Asuka, I'll be right there with you._ " Shinji said sternly. " _And Asuka, Angels shouldn't be taken so cavalierly._ "

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?!" Asuka said shutting off the comm. "Dummkopf… where does he get off telling me what to do?"

" _Evangelion Unit–01… Evangelion Unit–02… LAUNCH!_ " Misato ordered.

Both Evangelions slid out of the restraint racks on their planes, and fell to Earth from 10,000 feet. Near the ground, Shinji activated his retro rockets, deploying them from the shoulder pylons, landing gracefully on the beach and staying crouched awaiting a power cable. Asuka on the other hand did something far more artful, doing several somersaults in the air before throwing the retro rockets on at the last moment, and landing heavily in the sand. She also waited for a power cable, and when Unit–01 and Unit–02 were tethered once again, the stood up straight and grabbed their weapons. Unit–02 wielded a Progressive Glaive, which simply put a larger Progressive Knife on the end of a long metal rod, while Unit–01 was wielding twin Pallet Rifles.

A large burst of water shot up from the ocean, revealing an odd, humanoid figure that stood taller than the Evangelions. Its arms and legs were shaped like crescents which was platinum in color with a lilac hue in the sunlight. On the ends of each of its arms and legs were three spiky looking appendages. Its main body simply looked like the top of an hourglass, and was colored a dark teal. For a face it had a red and blue ying and yang symbol, with eerily blinking eyes. Its Core was situated near where a human's navel would be, with four pearl white ribs pointing towards it. It stretched its arms up in the air as if sending a challenge to the Evangelions awaiting it.

Israfel had arrived.

" _Here it comes Asuka!_ " Shinji said.

"Will you just shut up and just cover me?" Asuka said. "I'll handle this ugly fuck myself." Asuka smirked. 'Now I'll show you who's the best pilot _really_ is…' Asuka thought.

" _Asuka, don't!_ " Shinji shouted. " _Don't be so reckless!_ " Shinji said as he began spreading around suppressing fire. Israfel's A.T. Field deployed, stopping the bullets, Shinji began focusing his attack on the Core to try and cause some damage while Unit–02 crouched down like a tiger.

Asuka gripped the control yokes tightly and pushed them forward. "CHARGE!"

Unit–02 leapt into the air and landed on a small building just offshore, crushing it utterly.. Unit–02 leapt from there to another, larger building, and collapsed the top three floors with its landing, and poised itself to strike Israfel. Unit–02 leapt high into the air on final time and brought down the Prog Glaive towards Israfel. Israfel looked up and blinked as the weapon came swooshing down.

"YAAAAHHHHH!" Asuka shouted as the Prog Glaive sliced Israfel right down the middle, revealing its fleshy pink interior.

" _Well I'll be damned…_ " Shinji said over the comm. " _Nice work Asuka._ "

"I told you I was the best, Third Child!" Asuka said proudly. "See, a quick, elegant fight without taking too much time out of your day!"

Shinji looked on from his Entry Plug as Unit–02 held its weapon triumphantly in the air.

'Great, now she'll be impossible to deal with…' Shinji thought.

Shinji looked at the Angel and saw it starting to move. Out of the pink fleshy stuff on both halves popped a gray mask that resembled a bowling ball, with three equidistant holes. The Angel started to reform into two copies of its original self, their Cores oved to where the sternum is on the human body, and they shrunk in size, now roughly the height of an Evangelion. One was colored gold, while the other was silver, and they were poised to attack Unit–02.

"Asuka look out!" Shinji shouted. "It's not dead!"

From inside her Entry Plug, Asuka spun her EVA around to see what Shinji was yelling about and saw the two Angels staring at her.

'I cut the fucking thing in half and it did this?!' Asuka thought. 'This is not good…'

The gold one moved towards Unit–02, but it was intercepted by a hail of bullets, and no A.T. Field stopped it.

" _Asuka, move!_ " Shinji shouted. " _Don't just stand there!_ "

Unit–02 moved back and brought it weapon to bear. Unit–02 swung at the silver one as it moved forward and sliced its shoulder clean through. Moments later, it healed itself and pressed forward. Unit–01's hail of gunfire on the gold one has left several holes in it, but it too also reformed. They both then moved towards to poor Unit–02.

" _ASUKA!_ " Shinji shouted as he continued to fire at the Angels. " _AIM FOR THE CORE!_ "

"Got it!" Asuka replied as she swung the Prog Glaive at the gold one, and cut its Core deeply, causing it to shoot out blood. "Got him!"

The silver one's Core glowed and then the gold one's healed.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!" Asuka screamed. "HOW IS THIS FAIR!"

"Asuka, you hit the Core, right?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, I did, it bled and everything!" Asuka replied.

" _It must mean you need to break both Cores at once, Shinji, move in!_ " Misato ordered.

" _Roger!_ " Shinji replied.

Unit–01 moved forward, continuing to fire on the Angels. However, Unit–02 struggling against the two Angels who were attacking in perfect unison. The gold one grabbed Unit–02 and lifted it up with ease.

"Put me down you piece of scheisse!" Asuka screamed. "I said put me…"

The silver one grabbed Unit–02 b the legs and began to swing it around her head like some sort of slingshot, its Prog Glaive slipped from its grasp and flew at Unit–01, and Unit–01 rolled to avoid it.

Asuka was feeling nauseous… and afraid. "Misato… Shinji… someone… HELP ME!" Asuka screamed.

Shinji watched in horror as Unit–02 was swung around like a rag doll. "ASUKA!" Shinji shouted as Unit–02 was let go and flung through the air at high speed until it ended up land hard in some fields a short distance away, its red armor still visible from the shore, knocking Asuka out in the process.

Shinji watched as the two Angels approached him and his rifles ran out of ammo. "Misato, I need a gun or something, HURRY!"

A plane from up above dropped a single crate nearby and Unit–01 ran to it and blew its explosive bolts, revealing a Gatling Gun. "This'll do…" Shinji said. "Eat lead… bastards…" Shinji opened fire at the advancing Angels to minimal effect, although it did slow them down, even with the steady stream of bullets, not much could be done as the damage was healed quite quickly, although the time it took to heal increased after flurry of bullets. "YAAAAHHHHH!" The Gatling Gun ran out of ammo and Shinji tossed it aside and opened both shoulder pylons and pulled out his twin Prog Knives. "YAAAAHHHHH!" Unit–01 charged the gold Angel and stabbed it through the Core, causing it to bleed. Unit–01 threw that Angel aside and then sunk both Prog Knives into the silver one's Core. Shinji moved away from both Angels and saw them stand back up, apparently healed and coming at him again. The both landed a synchronized punch to Unit–01's abdomen, stunning Shinji. Then the Angels lifted him up and threw him in a similar fashion to Unit–02.

When Unit–01 slammed into the ground, it too was taken offline by its unconscious pilot.

–––

Asuka, Shinji, Mari, Rei, Kaji, Misato and Fuyutsuki were all sitting in a screening room and re–watching the battle and its aftermath. Asuka and Shinji had just been recovered and were still in their plugsuits.

Along with the film was a commentary recorded by Maya. " _At 15:47 Unit–01 and Unit–02 deployed against the Seventh Angel. At 15:53, the Angel was bisected by Unit–02's Prog Glaive. At 15:54, The Seventh Angel split into two identical smaller Angels, a gold one, codenamed Kou, and a Silver one, codenamed Otsu. At 15:57, Unit–02 ceased all functioning after an assault by the dual Angels. At 16:03, Unit–01 ceased all functioning after attempting to destroy the dual Angels alone. At 16:12, NERV gave up the right to command the operation and transferred said command to the U.N. Archangel Heavy Bomber Squadron. At 16:16, Archangel–1 dropped an improved N2 Bomb on the target Angels resulting in a 47% incineration of the targets, effectively immobilizing them._ "

Asuka stood up. "This is all your fault! You totally screwed up my debut battle!" Asuka shouted. "You were supposed to cover me!"

"That wasn't the plan, Asuka!" Shinji shouted back. "We were supposed to take turns attacking the Angel, but you charged in there like an idiot!"

"How dare you call me an idiot, you sorry excuse for a combat pilot!" Asuka shouted back. "You're just a jerk!"

"I'm the jerk?!" Shinji retorted. "If you hadn't rushed in there so eager to prove how good you and disregard procedure in the process, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"What?!" Asuka shouted. "You couldn't even shoot at them properly!"

"You kept getting in my line of fire you attention seeking moron!" Shinji shouted back.

"ENOUGH!" Fuyutsuki was standing up and pointing threateningly at the arguing pilots. "NERV has been completely humiliated because of this total and utter lack of professionalism displayed out in the field today! You are both at fault for this, and I will be writing a very detailed report to Commander Ikari!"

"Well, Sub–Commander." Kaji said calmly. "At least we have time to regroup and come up with a counterattack to kill these things."

"The hell I can't, Inspector Kaji!" Fuyutsuki pointed at the two pilots again. "Just to get this clear with the both of you, what do you think your job is?!"

"To… pilot the EVA?" Asuka replied cautiously.

"Wrong!" Fuyutsuki shouted. "It's to beat the Angels at all costs! NERV does not exist to create public spectacles like the one we say today! You two will get your act together and learn to work together as a team!"

"Why should we!" Shinji and Asuka shouted in unison.

"ENOUGH!" Fuyutsuki shouted. "No get out of here and go home! I don't want you to cause any more public relations disasters, this is enough for one day!"

Asuka and Shinji glared at each other and walked towards the door. Asuka walked out first, followed closely by Mari and Rei. Misato wandered out next, but before Shinji could leave, Kaji and Fuyutsuki stopped him.

"Shinji." Fuyutsuki said in a calm voice.

"Y… yes…. Sub–Commander?" Shinji asked nervously.

"I am not placing the majority of the blame on this incident on your shoulders. You are only partly to blame, but Miss Soryu clearly did not follow the Major's plan of action, and her actions led directly to an ineffective response." Fuyutsuki smiled a bit. "I just figured you should know that."

Fuyutsuki walked out of the room and Shinji walked out with Kaji a moment later. "See, not all bad, Shinji." Kaji said. "That's certainly a good thing."

"Yeah…" Shinji mumbled. Shinji looked up to see Asuka glaring at him, and Mari glaring right back at her. "Hey, where's Misato?"

"Well, when things like this happen, the person in direct command of the problem gets to be on clean up duty." Kaji replied.

"Shinji, I'm going to keep blaming you for this until the day I die"! Asuka shouted.

"Go ahead! I wasn't the one who disobeyed orders this time!" Shinji shouted back. "It was your stupid ass!"

Mari grabbed Shinji by the shoulders. "Hey, puppy, let's go to the locker room. I'll wait outside and guard the door against any angry harpies, then we'll go to eat somewhere. How's that sound?"

"Better than arguing with her!" Shinji said loudly. 'Why do I even like her… she's nothing like the girl in my dreams, her personality is all wrong…'

"Are you calling me a harpy?!" Asuka shouted.

"Well… when the talon fits…" Mari purred.

"Shut up you four eyed freak!" Asuka shouted.

"Hey, leave Mari alone!" Shinji shouted. "If you need to yell at someone, find a fucking mirror and yell at yourself!" Mari led Shinji away before he or Asuka could yell anymore. Leaving Rei, Kaji, and Asuka standing there.

"What are you looking at wundergirl?!" Asuka said loudly.

"I am simply contemplating how you do not understand you are fault in this." Rei said calmly. "I told you after our sync tests that you do not have friends because you have a poor attitude, and this has proved my point." Rei glared at her. "Do not blame Shinji for _your_ rash actions. Shinji is correct, you have no one to blame but yourself. The sooner you come to terms with that, and the sooner you calm down, the sooner you will be able to make friends." Rei turned to walk away.

"Hikari is my friend!" Asuka shouted at her back.

Rei turned around and glared at Asuka. "Hikari is kind to all." Rei said. "She has not suffered as Shinji has in the past, she is an open and kind hearted person from what has been explained to me, Soryu. If you can make friends with Shinji, who is a bit more cautious, but still just has kind hearted, then perhaps you are not such a mean person after all."

'Why would she say that…' Asuka thought, holding back the tears she knew she wanted to spill. 'Is she saying Hikari is only my friend because she's nice? I can't really be that off putting, can I?' Asuka's face hardened. 'Eh, who needs wundergirl or baka, or even four eyes? I'm perfectly happy on my own!'

Rei walked away, leaving Asuka in stunned silence. Kaji raised his eyebrows at the exchange in shock and walked over to Asuka.

Kaji placed his hand on Asuka's shoulder. "Hey, Asuka, everything ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine"! Asuka said.

"Good." Kaji said brightly. "So, seeing as Misato is busy at the moment, I have some news for you on your living arrangements."

–––

Mari and Shinji were walking back from the karaoke buffet they went to when she arrived. Shinji was still in a sour mood, and Mari was dining her best to cheer him up.

"You know, when we get back to your place, can you show me all the porn you were talking about?" Mari asked. "I'm really interested to see it all…" Mari blushed.

"I don't see why not, at least Asuka can't ruin the apartment too…" Shinji said angrily.

Mari smiled brightly. "See, cheer up, at least you have somewhere safe to go to after school where she can't bother you!"

As the two of them approached the apartment, a DHL truck drove by them. When they got into the apartment, there were dozens of boxes everywhere.

"What the fuck?" Shinji said. "Did Misato have more stuff delivered?"

"I don't know, but there is an _awful_ lot…" Mari mumbled.

"Well, well, well, look who it is, the loser and her sad little dog." Asuka said from behind them.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Shinji shouted. "Can't you just leave me alone?!"

"Not likely, seeing as I've been moved in here." Asuka said. "I guess that means you're going bye–bye."

"Shinji's not going anywhere, Asuka." Kaji said. "You asked to move in here with him and Misato, so he's your roommate now."

"But I don't want this little pervert here." Asuka moaned.

"Well, it's not my decision to make, Asuka." Kaji said. "So… Misato asked me to stay the night while she goes through all that paperwork, and she'll be by in the morning to explain our counterattack strategy."

"You actually asked to move in?" Mari asked. "Are you that afraid of being alone you have to bother my poor helpless puppy?"

"Well, I was hoping to have Misato to myself." Asuka said.

"Fine, you're living here." Shinji said as he walked towards his room. "Can I just go to my room now and be alone?"

"No boys allowed, pervert!" Asuka said blocking his path. "Your shit is over there in a box. It's not like you had a lot of stuff, so I'm taking the bigger room!" Asuka pointed to a box on the floor. "I was already kind enough to move your… _wardrobe_ to your new room."

"So magnanimous…" Mari said rolling her eyes.

"You took my room!" Shinji shouted.

"Well, it's not like you were using it properly…" Asuka said. "I mean it's so small, and yet you barely had anything in it, whereas I can't even fit half my stuff in there!"

"Who gives a shit about your stuff…" Shinji muttered as he looked over the contents of the box. "Hey, where's my Mewtwo?!" Shinji shouted. "Did you decide to steal that too?!"

"What?" Asuka asked innocently. "I would never do that."

"I doubt it." Mari said, shoving Asuka out of the way. Mari rummaged through Asuka's' new room and found what she was looking for. "Got it Shinji!" Mari walked back out holding his Mewtwo. "She had it on her shelf next to some stupid monkey."

Pen–Pen wandered over at all the noise and tugged at Shinji's leg. "Wark!"

Shinji looked down. "What is it buddy, are you hungry?"

Pen–Pen shook his head and pointed at Asuka. "Wark!"

"What did she do?" Shinji asked.

Pen–Pen held up an empty package of jerky. "WARK!"

"Asuka, you took his food?!" Shinji asked angrily.

"Yeah, why is a penguin eating jerky anyway?" Asuka asked. "I was hungry and it was the only thing that you had I liked."

Pen–Pen walked over to Asuka and poked her leg with his middle claw and Asuka batted him away. "Get away from me you stupid bird!" Asuka shouted.

"Leave him alone!" Shinji roared. "Just leave us all alone, Asuka! You're not a nice person, I'd rather have Mari as a roommate than you!"

Pen–Pen gripped onto Shinji's leg. "Wark…"

"Hey, there should be some more jerky in the cabinets, I'll get you some in a minute, ok?" Shinji said.

"Wark! Wark!" Pen–Pen replied.

Shinji wandered to the kitchen and brought back another package of jerky. "Here you go, buddy."

"Wark!" Pen–Pen grabbed the package and sped off to his freezer for safety.

Shinji turned to Asuka. "Just stay away from me Asuka, I'd rather not talk to you." Shinji grabbed his box of stuff. "Come on, Mari."

Mari followed Shinji to his room and then Shinji slammed the door.

"Well, that could have gone better, Asuka." Kaji said. "But I'd leave him alone for now. I think you upset him."

"How could I upset him?" Asuka asked. "I need more space, I took the bigger room!"

"I told you to wait and ask him when he got back, but you didn't want to listen." Kaji said kindly. "Perhaps you should think more about what Rei told you that mad you look so upset. It may hold the key to this problem you two are having."

"I was not upset!" Asuka shouted.

"Sure, Asuka…" Kaji said. "Well, I'll be staying on the couch, so if you need me, holler."

As Kaji went to the living room, Asuka was left once again, standing alone.

–––

Mari sat down on Shinji bed next to the heaped pile of clothes.

"Hey, Shinji, are you ok?" Mari asked.

"Not really." Shinji said. "Now I have nowhere to go to where Asuka isn't going to be… she's a pilot, so she'll be at NERV, she's in our class and sits right next to me so I can't escape her there… and now she's here… in my old room!"

"Hey, just relax." Mari said. "Do you want me to stay?"

"You don't have to." Shinji said. "I was only going to hide in here for the night and go out there when I heard Misato was back."

"Well, we can cuddle, like the night we met." Mari said, blushing. "It might make you feel calmer, and the princess out there can't ruin that moment, can she?"

"I guess not, but I have to put all my stuff away first…" Shinji said, looking at the mess.

"Well then, let's get to it!" Mari said.

* * *

September 6, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Kaji awoke on the couch to the smell of something cooking in the kitchen. He wandered over to see Mari sitting at the table and Shinji cooking breakfast.

"Good morning all!" Kaji said brightly. "What's cooking?"

"Oh, just some sausage and bacon. Then there's some scrambled eggs with cheese." Shinji replied. "Hope you're hungry."

"Yeah, a bit." Kaji said. "So, do you have Mari stay over?" Kaji asked.

"Yeah, I slept in his room." Mari replied.

"Are you two dating?"

"No…" Mari said innocently. "He was upset so I stayed to keep him comply. We did the same thing the day we met too."

"Mari…" Shinji said blushing.

"What did you kids do, exactly?" Kaji asked. "Nothing inappropriate I hope?"

"A pervert… eh?" Mari said jokingly. "No, all we did was cuddle like two friends." Mari said. "It's perfectly normal."

Shinji smiled. "Yeah, Mr. Kaji, we're just friends."

"Please, Shinji, just call me Kaji, everyone does." Kaji said. "You two must be pretty close to do that as friends."

"Yeah, we are." Mari said. "I'm puppy's best friend!"

"She is, she's a great friend too." Shinji said happily. "Even with the occasional teasing."

"Well, Shinji, you have a very good friend here in Mari." Kaji said. "You're a lucky kid."

"Thanks, Kaji." Shinji said. "So, was the couch comfortable?"

"Yes, it was. I've slept in far worse places than a couch." Kaji said.

"Oh, that's right, you would have been a kid during Second Impact…" Shinji said. "Sorry…"

"No need to apologize my dear boy!" Kaji said. "That was a lifetime ago." Kaji smiled kindly at him. "So, Shinji, are you less… angry?" Kaji asked.

"At Asuka, or Misato?" Shinji asked.

"Both." Kaji said.

"Well, I guess I'm angrier at Misato than I am at Asuka. I mean Asuka could have at least asked me if it was ok to switch rooms. I don't like being bullied like that, it's just not fair." Shinji explained. "Why neither one of them could tell me about Asuka moving in is beyond me though. I guess Asuka was too busy being on her high horse to say anything, and since we got back from the _Over the Rainbow_ , Misato's been getting hammered on a nightly basis, and she even forgot to mention Asuka would be in my class. I don't know what's affected her so much since then though…"

"Well, sometimes people get upset about things, Shinji." Kaji said. 'So she does still have feelings for me… it's the only explanation.' Kaji thought. 'But why go straight to alcohol, why not come talk to me. I guess she really was upset about me flirting with Ritsuko.'

"Adults are weird." Mari said.

Unbeknownst to the three of them, Asuka was standing out of sight very quietly, listening in on their conversation, having come in when Kaji asked if Shinji was still angry. 'He thinks I was too busy gloating to tell him I was moving in?' Asuka thought. 'And he's mad because I didn't ask permission to use his room? I guess Kaji was right… I should have just asked him instead of moving his stuff. Wundergirl was right, I'm not a nice person am I… No, Asuka, stop thinking like that, he's just used to being coddled like a child!' Asuka shook her head and then walked proudly into the kitchen.

"Guten morgen!" Asuka said happily.

"Morning…" Shinji said.

"Morning, Asuka!" Kaji said brightly.

"Oh, hello." Mari said. "Ears burning?"

"Why would they be?" Asuka asked. "So, I smelt breakfast and was worried Misato was cooking…" Asuka shuttered. "So, what's for breakfast, Third Child?"

"Bacon, sausage, eggs, and toast." Shinji said. "It's nothing very fancy."

"Sausage, how did you know that's my favorite?" Asuka asked.

"I didn't, it's just some Italian and veal sausages I had left over from the past few days. Seeing as there are five of us, I decided to cook what we had left." Shinji said.

"Did you say veal?" Asuka asked. "I can't believe you have weisswurst here in Japan."

"Yeah, they were a treat because the store usually doesn't have veal anything." Shinji replied. "There are a quite a few of them, if you want a couple." Shinji said.

"Yes, please!" Asuka said happily.

"Look puppy, you calm the beast by feeding it." Mari purred. "Who knew…"

"Be quiet four eyes." Asuka said. "Why are you here anyway?"

"To protect Shinji from the angry beast." Mari replied.

"Mari, be nice, she was so calm a minute ago." Shinji sighed. "Don't ruin it."

Shinji made up five plates and divided the food, leaving Misato's in the microwave to keep it warm. They ate in silence, only broken by the clattering of cutlery, and as Misato walked in looked like death warmed over, the other four were almost done eating.

"Hello all." Misato said. "Kaji…"

"Hello Katsuragi, how was your evening?" Kaji asked.

"It was shit." Misato said angrily. "So if you could leave, I'd like to yell at my two wards for screwing up." Misato pointed to Air. "You should be in school, you, get going."

"Hey, Misato, be nice!" Shinji said. "There's no need to be so rude!"

"Shinji, I haven't slept at all, and every fucking idiot who has a problem with the EVAs has been complaining to me since you two got pulled out of your EVAs after that fiasco we went through, all because you two were both careless!"

"We were not careless, Misato!" Shinji shouted. "Even if Asuka hadn't rushed in there like that, the thing split into two and ganged up on Asuka, we have trouble fighting one thing at a time, let alone two, give it a rest, the Sub–Commander already yelled at us for this!"

'He's defending me?' Asuka thought. 'After I was mean to him, he's defending me? Wundergirl was right, he is a really nice person…'

"Well, I haven't yelled at you yet!" Misato yelled.

Shinji slammed his fist on the table. "How about you leave the yelling alone, you're not exactly the most responsible person in the world you know!"

"Well at least I listen to the orders I'm given by my superior officers!" Misato shouted.

"ENOUGH, KATSURAGI!" Kaji roared.

Misato looked at him in shock. "Don't you dare…"

"Katsuragi, these two were just bested by a very tricky Angel yesterday, don't take out your anger about having to field complaints and paperwork on them!" Kaji said sternly. "They did their job! And to be fair, Shinji has done far better disregarding what you've told him to do in the past, that's how he killed the Fourth Angel!"

Misato just stared at Kaji. 'He hasn't yelled at me like that since…' Misato thought back. 'Since the night we broke up…' Misato glared at him. "Fine, I won't yell at them, but you need to go so I can break this plan of yours to them gently."

"Fine, I can take Mari to school in my car." Kaji said.

"No!" Mari shouted fearfully.

"What, its ok, I don't mind." Kaji said.

"No, it's not that, Kaji." Shinji explained. "She's afraid of cars, for… personal reasons."

"Oh, that's fine." Kaji smiled. "I understand, Mari. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."

Mari calmed herself down. "Thanks, Kaji, but I can just walk…"

"Sure." Kaji said. "Alright then, Katsuragi, I'll leave you to it." Kaji waived to Shinji and Asuka. "Good luck you two."

"Bye, Kaji." Shinji said.

"Come back soon, Kaji!" Asuka said happily.

Mari got up and hugged Shinji and whispered in his ear. "Thanks, puppy." Mari gave Asuka a look. "Bye, princess."

"Later, four eyes." Asuka said.

"Bye, Mari!" Shinji said.

The trio heard the door close and Misato looked at the two of them. "So, did you cook anything for me?" Misato asked.

"Do you deserve it after that outburst?" Shinji asked.

"I'm sorry, Shinji, I shouldn't have snapped at you." Misato said. "You too, Asuka. I was just frustrated."

Shinji hit the start button on the microwave. "I forgive you Misato." He took the plate out when it beeped and handed it to her. "Here you go."

Misato grabbed a few beers and sat across from the two kids. "So, Kaji came up with a plan to counter the Angels." Misato explained. "According to the MAGI, there is only one way to destroy the Seventh Angel, a perfectly timed and executed simultaneous attack on them both. In other words, you two will need to be perfectly synced up to each other to accomplish this little mission. In order to be in perfect harmony, your biological rhythms must be in perfect sync. To that end, for the next week, you'll both be doing everything together, save for showering or using the bathroom of course, but besides that, you'll get up together, eat together, brush your teeth together, and train together."

Shinji and Asuka jumped and then looked at each other, shocked at what they were hearing.

"Absolutely not!" Asuka said angrily. "Boys and girls can't live together! It shouldn't be done after the age of seven!"

"Asuka, I can always replace you with Rei are Mari." Misato threatened.

"But…" Asuka bemoaned. "Even if we do train it's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible, Asuka, now sit down!" Misato said sternly.

Asuka sat down in a huff and glared at Shinji like it was his fault she got yelled at.

"So, the Angel is currently regenerating itself, so we have five days to get you two ready to attack this Angel the moment it wakes up." Misato continued. "And we do have a way of making it possible, Asuka. Thanks to Kaji, the master attack pattern will be coordinated to this piece of music. If you follow it exactly, you'll be able to work in sync and completely destroy both targets. We'll begin your training now and we attack in six days."

Asuka and Shinji continued to stare at each other until Asuka looked away in a huff.

* * *

September 7, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Asuka and Shinji were training hard in the living room while Misato watched intently. They were wearing matching outfits, a leotard that was like a tank top combined with shorts, and a loose fitting shirt with two eighth notes beamed showing a decreasing pitch, and a separate eighth note. Shinji's shirt was light blue with green notes, while Asuka's shirt was pink with red notes. They were using two electronic mats with light up dots that were hooked up to digital displays and a sound system. They were two days into training, and had made little progress. Shinji appeared to have the steps down, as he constantly scored perfect going into the steps, while Asuka was usually a few beats too fast, setting her own pace, and disregarding both the music and Shinji. However, her stubbornness kept her from realizing she was the problem, and she berated Shinji when the buzzer went off behind her with the "ERROR!" message.

"Scheisse!" Asuka shouted. "What are you stupid or something, Shinji?!" Asuka threw her headphones towards the Misato. "He's a fucking idiot, he keeps messing up the steps!"

Shinji simply ignored her and continued to practice the steps while Asuka complained.

"Why can't he get it right?!" Asuka shouted at Misato.

"Have you ever considered matching Shinji's pace instead of going as fast as you do?" Misato asked, trying to sound as diplomatic as possible.

Considering the shitty mood Asuka was in because she was forced to be with Shinji all the time, Misato had to be careful not to blame her. Even though it was Kaji's plan, that was only going to work for so long before Asuka called it quits. Shinji had been good, and left the subject of Asuka fucking up alone while he focused on learning the steps in tune with the music.

"Why should I match his glacial pace?!" Asuka growled. "Shouldn't we beat this Angel as quickly as possible, before our power runs out?!"

Shinji slipped on some sweat on his mat and fell, causing an "ERROR" message to pop up behind him as well. Asuka pointed at him and laughed.

"See, this dummkopf is so uncoordinated, he tripped himself up!" Asuka said loudly. "I may as well fight with a trained dancing bear, it may even do a better job!"

**_♪DING DONG♪_ **

"Saved by the bell…" Shinji muttered.

"Why don't I get the door while you two reset for another try?" Misato said.

"Asuka, just stop complain and let's try this again, ok?" Shinji asked.

"Whatever Third Child." Asuka said.

As Shinji and Asuka began again, in walked Shinji's five friends.

"Heya, puppy!" Mari said. "Some folks were worried about you, even blueberry here, and especially freckles too."

"Hey guys."

"So, you're stuck training with her, huh?" Toji said sympathetically. "You poor bastard!"

Hikari looked at the both of them sternly. "You two haven't been fighting have you?"

"Well, its more she yells and I try to ignore her." Shinji said, letting out some much needed sarcasm.

"Hey, who asked you, Third Child?!" Asuka shouted, until she composed herself a bit as she saw Kaji walk in.

Kaji smiled brightly. "Heya guys, I hope my plan isn't wearing you out yet?"

"Well, it hasn't killed me yet." Shinji joked. "And neither has Asuka."

"Good to hear Asuka's temper isn't hampering the war effort!" Kaji said.

"What's that supposed to mean, Kaji?" Asuka asked.

"Well, I'm guessing he means you can be a _royal_ pain in the ass, princess." Mari purred.

"Shut up, four eyes!" Asuka shouted.

"Hey, what did I tell you, Asuka?!" Misato said loudly. "Get back to training!"

"Fine!" Asuka shouted in response. "Baka! Get moving!" Asuka barked.

"Yeah, keep blaming me for your mistakes…" Shinji muttered.

While Asuka and Shinji got down on the mat once again, Shinji with a grimace, and Asuka with a face full of determination, the music played in their ears while the counters behind them racked up how many steps they were getting correct. As that was happening, the others began to chat.

"So, Misato, why did you tell us all to come here?" Mari asked.

"Well, I figured an audience might make Asuka do a bit better with keeping the right pace." Misato explained. "She keeps going too fast and setting her own pace, while Shinji has been doing perfectly, but getting blamed for her messing up."

"It appears her behavior and antics during the last battle have also translated to this training as well." Rei said glancing over at the two of them. "I do not think your psychological methods will work on Soryu, she is too… what is the word…"

"Stubborn…" Kaji said.

"Arrogant." Toji chuckled.

"Self–centered." Kensuke said quietly.

"Proud?" Hikari asked.

"Egotistical!" Mari said happily.

"Ostentatious…" Rei finished. "She will never see herself at fault because she believes herself to be perfect, and when she is shown otherwise… well we saw her outburst in the media room did we not?"

"Wow blueberry, you should be a psychologist, or psychiatrist, I don't know, I can never remember the difference." Mari said.

A loud beep emanated from the machine behind Asuka, once again displaying the "ERROR" message.

"Try again, baka!" Asuka shouted. "And stop fucking up already! Two days of this shit is enough!"

"You can say that again…" Shinji said.

The two took their marks again and began again.

"See, that's pretty much the last few days in a nutshell…" Misato said sadly. "The next time they fuck up, Rei, Mari, I want you each to sub for Asuka." Misato said. "I'll listen to what Rei said, I may as well embarrass the hell out of her and maybe she'll realize it's her fault, and then she'll try harder!"

"That is not what I said…" Rei said. "What I meant was…"

"No, no!" Misato said. "You gave me an idea, so just sit and wait your turn."

"Don't bother, blueberry, once she's got an idea, we can't stop her." Mari said sadly. "You know that."

"Man, this is almost sad to watch…" Toji said. "I mean she thinks she's doing perfect when she's like four step ahead of him."

"I hate to say this about my friend, but Toji's right, she really is messing this up." Hikari said. "Maybe I should try talking to her…"

Kensuke snickered. "Don't bother, I doubt she'd listen."

Hikari glared at him. "Kensuke, everyone listens, it just takes the right…"

"No, Hikari, he's right." Kaji said. "Asuka only follows the beat of her own drum. It's just her personality, and it's a very strong one." Kaji looked over at her. "She'll figure it out eventually, and Katsuragi's plan may actually be the thing to do it."

"I guess…" Hikari muttered as the buzzer went off again, and Asuka threw another fit.

"This is fucking impossible!" Asuka threw her headphones at the wall. "Why can't we just snipe them simultaneously or something!"

"Asuka, we have to hit them simultaneously, even the slightest difference in timing would allow them to recover and kick your ass again." Misato said.

"Yeah, well, even if it is Mr. Kaji's plan, it sucks!" Asuka shouted.

"So…" Misato said. "Does that mean you're giving up?"

"Not likely." Asuka said. "I'm all you've got, Misato."

"Not exactly, Asuka." Misato said. "I told you the other day I could replace you."

"Wha…" Asuka said as Misato pointed to Rei.

"Alright Rei, give it a try and see how you do." Misato said. "Asuka, get out of the way and let Rei and Shinji have a go."

"But…" Asuka said in hurt voice.

Shinji and Rei took their positions, and when the music stated they moved in almost perfect harmony, with Shinji being a bit ahead at first, but adjusting his place slightly to allow Rei and him to move effortlessly together. When the minute was up, the buzzer had not gone off and Asuka just stared at them.

"Good job you two!" Misato said. "Now, Mari, go try it out."

'Impossible…' Asuka thought.

Mari stood up and patted Rei on the head as they passed each other. Shinji smiled at her, and they took their positions. When the music started, and all the way to the end of the song, Shinji and Mari were in perfect sync, and moved together as though it had been them who had been practicing for two days. Asuka just glared at them.

Asuka watched in utter horror as the pair moved together in perfect harmony. 'How did they do that?' Asuka thought.

"Well, that settles it, I'll just alter the operation to have Mari use Unit–02." Misato said.

"What…!" Asuka gasped. "Oh no…" Asuka looked close to tears as she looked at Mari and Shinji smiling happily, the first time Shinji had been happy in several days. "No… No! I can't stand this! I can't take this stupid shit anymore!" Asuka ran out of the room in what appeared to be tears. "Fuck you, Misato!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the door. Everyone then looked over at Shinji.

"What, Asuka!" Hikari said loudly.

"So, even the devil can cry…" Toji muttered.

'Yeah, I didn't think that was possible…' Mari thought. "Shinji, go after her." Mari said.

"Why, she's been yelling at me non–stop for two whole days!" Shinji said angrily. "I can't stand _her_ anymore!"

"Shinji…" Mari started.

"No!" Shinji said forcibly.

"Shinji!" Hikari said loudly. "You don't mean that! You're not a mean person, and neither is Asuka! Just go talk to her!"

"They're both right, Shinji." Kaji said. "Asuka's just frustrated with all this, and she's also not used to someone besting her at something." Kaji smiled. "She's not used to expressing herself constructively is all. Now just go and talk to her and make her feel better. I noticed that's another one of your traits we learned in your fight with the Sixth Angel. Every time you comforted Asuka with your words of advice or anything, her blood pressure and heart rate lowered. She trusts you."

"Idiot!" Misato shouted. "You shouldn't be sharing that data!"

"So, it's true?" Shinji asked.

"Yep, no go work your magic, kiddo." Kaji said. "She'll listen to you, the more abrasive she is, the more you push, it's as simple as that."

"Alright…" Shinji said. "I'll go…"

–––

Shinji looked around outside for Asuka, as she couldn't have gone very far.

'Where would she hide exactly…' Shinji thought. 'All I know about her is that she loves being difficult and loves jerky…'

Shinji looked towards the corner and saw the closest convenience store to the apartment. The one Shinji went to for most of the food they ate in the apartment. 'She has to be in there. Otherwise, I don't know where she went…'

Shinji walked into the store and saw the only other person in there besides the clerk was Asuka. There was a pile of food on the counter already. She was crouched in the refrigerator case looking for something to drink. Shinji crouched down next to her.

"Asuka…" Shinji said.

"Go away, Shinji." Asuka said. "I don't want to talk to you right now…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Asuka." Shinji said. "Remember I told you that the other day?" Shinji smiled. "We're comrades, I'm not going to abandon you."

"Is that all I am to you?" Asuka asked.

"What do you mean, Asuka?" Shinji replied.

"What I mean is why didn't you say friend?!" Asuka said in her hurt voice. "Why did you say comrade?! You're friends with four eyes and wundergirl, but not me!"

"Asuka, you haven't exactly been nice to me since we met." Shinji said. "Haven't you ever thought that might be the reason? Rei I don't think can even be unkind, just extremely truthful with her opinions, and Mari's just a big goofball. You're not exactly easy to talk to. One minute you're yelling and the next you're calm and sweet, it's hard to get a read on someone when their mood changes at the drop of a hat."

"So, _you_ can make the effort!" Asuka said angrily.

"So could you, Asuka." Shinji said calmly.

"Just leave me alone, Shinji!" Asuka shouted as she ran out.

"Asuka, wait!" Shinji shouted as she ran down the street.

Shinji went up to the counter. "Can you put this on my account please, and hurry."

"Sure thing, kid." The cashier said.

Shinji took the bags of food and ran after Asuka who was a few blocks ahead of him, and clearly sad because she was standing still and looked as though she was crying. Shinji rushed as quickly as he could to see if he could fix what made her run out this time.

"Asuka!" Shinji shouted.

"What do you want?!" Asuka said, glaring at him. "Why did you follow me?!"

'Not even a tear…' Shinji thought. "Sorry…" Shinji mumbled.

"Why are you apologizing?!" Asuka shouted at him. "Because you're not my friend, or because you suck at that stupid thing Misato has us doing!"

"I'm sorry because I didn't mean to upset you with what I said!" Shinji said empathically. "I was only telling the truth! You ran out before I could say that I want to be your friend, Asuka, you just don't make it easy!"

"Yeah, sure, you say that now…" Asuka said angrily. "Why do I keep getting yelled at for your mistakes anyway? You're the one that messed up the battle, you're the one who keeps messing up that dance. I did everything I was supposed to!" Asuka shoved Shinji. "Why do they always take out their anger about everything on me?!"

"Because you _are_ to blame, Asuka!" Shinji exclaimed. "If you can't see that, you're nowhere near as smart as you claim to be!"

"I _am_ smart!" Asuka shouted. "I'm smarter than you, Third Child!"

"Then prove it by accepting responsibility for _your_ actions!" Shinji said.

"But I didn't…" Asuka said.

"Asuka, stop it." Shinji said. "I know you're mad at me about something, and I don't really care what, I'm just trying to help, but if you don't want it, then so be it." Shinji turned and walked away. "See you around, Asuka…"

"Shinji, wait!" Asuka ran and grabbed his shoulder. "I… uh…"

Shinji looked at Asuka's eyes. 'They look so sad…' Shinji thought.

"I… I know I messed up, and I know, I have to pilot the EVA, I don't have a choice…" Asuka said dejectedly. "But I just wanted to make a difference…"

"Asuka, just try to relax a bit, and then maybe things will get easier." Shinji said. "You don't have to act like so serious all the time, you're still just a kid you know."

'Why I he still trying to be nice to me?' Asuka thought. 'Does he really want to be my friend? It's not like I need friends or anything though…'

"Aren't you tired of being so serious?" Shinji asked. "I mean, it has to be pretty tiring to be that wound up all the time." Shinji sighed. "Look, I'm going to go back to the apartment now, if you want to come with me, I'll be very glad, and we can keep training and beat that Angel, but if you don't I'll understand that too. I used to want to run away too, and it never worked. Then Misato made me realize I wanted to pilot the EVA for one thing, to protect my friends. Maybe if you come with me we can become friends, and pilot the EVA to save the rest our friends from danger…"

Shinji started to walk away and Asuka stood there frozen and not knowing what she should do. 'Should I follow him?' Asuka thought. 'He pilots the EVA to protect his friends? Compared to him, I pilot it for selfish reasons, to be praised by people I don't even know, but I also want to make momma proud…' Asuka looked as Shinji kept walking away. 'Why does he make me think so much?! No one has ever had the effect on me, only my mother could make me see how silly I was being… maybe Shinji _does_ care…'

Asuka ran after Shinji. "Wait, Shinji, don't go!"

Shinji turned around, and his face split into a smile. "So, you're not leaving then?"

"No…" Asuka said. "But if you want me around, then I'll stay."

"I'm glad." Shinji said. "I do want to be your friend, Asuka. Don't forget that."

"Yeah, well, I'm not staying for your friendship, Third Child!" Asuka said forcefully. "I don't want you or four eyes to get all the credit for killing that Angel!"

"Sure, Asuka." Shinji said.

"Now give me my bags, I picked it out, I can carry it myself!" Asuka said grabbing the bags from Shinji.

Shinji grabbed a bag back. "If you want to be my friend, then we can each carry a bag, Asuka." Shinji said. "You don't have to do everything on your do you?"

Asuka looked at Shinji and said nothing, but her smile had faded a bit. 'Do I need to be near people or can I truly be… alone?' Asuka thought.

–––

Shinji and Asuka had their snacks in hand, and when they finally got back to the apartment, everyone had gone, save for Kaji.

"Hey guys, Misato had to run to HQ so I'll be in charge for a bit, ok?"

"Sure, Kaji." Shinji said.

"Yeah, whatever…" Asuka muttered.

"Asuka, are you feeling any better?" Kaji asked.

"Kinda…" Asuka said. "I'm willing to keep trying as long as Shinji is." Asuka said.

"That's the spirit, Asuka!" Kaji said happily.

"Let me just put this stuff away." Asuka said.

Kaji glanced at Asuka as she walked away. "Well, Shinji, whatever you said worked. She seems calmer at least." Kaji smiled. "So, what did you do?"

"I just talked to her." Shinji said.

"Well, whatever it is, you did good, kiddo." Kaji ruffled his hair.

Asuka walked back in the room. "All set, Kaji."

"Great!" Kaji smiled. "Now get yourselves set, you guys have some catching up to do." Kaji said as he turned the machine back on. "On your marks then…"

* * *

September 9, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Shinji and Asuka were still hard at work to days after Asuka stormed out of the apartment. Shinji's chat with her had done something to make her more motivated, if only to show him she was worthy of being his friend, which, for whatever reason, Asuka wanted desperately.

They were taking a break from the mats and were sharing Shinji's SDAT and listening to the music on the veranda. They were leaning against the wall and tapping their fingers on their knees in tune with the music, memorizing the beats and visualizing their EVAs in combat against the twins, Kou and Otsu. When the song finished Asuka stretched and yawned loudly.

"Well, at least we're getting somewhere, Shinji." Asuka said

"I am trying, Asuka." Shinji replied.

"I'm not criticizing you, baka!" Asuka said. "I was only saying _we're_ getting better!"

"Oh…" Shinji said. "Sorry…"

Asuka shook her head. "Baka, Shinji…" Asuka said as she stretched again. "Hey, Shinji, can you make me something to eat?" Asuka asked. "I'm hungry."

"Sure." Shinji smiled. "Anything in particular?"

"No, just avoid noodles and rice." Asuka said. "You Japanese have no sense of variety, do you?"

"Not really, but I'll see what I can do." Shinji said as he went to the kitchen.

Asuka followed after him. She walked by Misato laying on the couch, snoring and drooling slightly in her sleep. Asuka smiled widely. "Wunderbar…" Asuka snuck up close to Misato. "PATTERN BLUE!" Asuka shouted.

Misato was so startled, she fell off the couch. "Oh my god! It's an Angel!" Misato looked up at Asuka, and saw her trying hard to contain her laughter, which didn't last very long. "ASUKA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

Asuka spoke between fits of laughter. "I… just… wanted… to… see… your… reaction!"

"Asuka, that is not funny!" Misato shouted. "How could you think that's funny?!"

"How can you not?!" Asuka cackled.

Misato grimaced. "How would you like it if I snuck up while you were sleeping and told you Mari was in Unit–02?"

"I'd kick you so hard, I'd knock your ass into next week." Asuka said angrily. "I don't want that four eyed bitch in my EVA, ever!"

"See, now how is what _you_ did funny?" Misato asked.

"Because, instinctively, you shouted "It's an Angel!" like it's some sort of tagline." Asuka joked. "So they really say that every time? Like do you need to be reminded of it every time?"

"Yes, they do, and this is the fifth Angel we've faced since Second Impact." Misato said.

"So, they still act surprised?" Asuka asked.

"Yes, because each additional Angel is a shock, we always hope the one we beat is the last one." Misato said solemnly.

"Do you really, Misato?" Asuka inquired. "I mean, every time an Angel appears, you come up with an even stupider and insane plan liable to get the pilots killed, like it's some sort of game to you."

"Hey!" Misato shouted. "What's that supposed to mean!"

Shinji walked out from the kitchen. "Asuka, if you're done tormenting Misato, lunch is ready." Shinji said.

"What is it?" Asuka asked.

"Caesar salads." Shinji said. "I had all the ingredients, and it's not noodles or rice."

"Good job, Shinji." Asuka said. "You listened."

Shinji smiled. "I try."

"Ugh, Shinji, I don't want to eat healthy!" Misato moaned.

"Yours is smothered in dressing, Misato." Shinji said. "And it has less lettuce."

"You're the best kid ever, Shinji!" Misato said happily as the three of them walked into the kitchen to eat.

"So, Misato, where's Kaji?" Asuka asked as the three of them sat down. "He left the other day so quickly when you got back, he got a call and just shot out of the door."

"Oh, that…" Misato said as she dug into her salad. "Apparently he's on some errand for the Commander." Misato replied.

–––

Deep in the desert in the wastelands of China was Kaji. He was in an old Range Rover and was driving to the site of a small building complex deep in the dunes. Kaji pulled up close and turned off the SUV, getting out slowly and moving stealthily towards the building.

As Kaji got to the door, he pulled out a black FN Five–seven and then turned the nob and pushed the door open quickly.

Kaji swept the room quickly to see it was abandoned. There were only two, old, rusted desks, a few dented and empty filing cabinets and drawers, and two very basic rolling chairs, one of which was on its side. There was an old business phone on one of the desks. It wasn't even plugged in, it just had part of its long cord wrapped around it.

Kaji sighed and flicked the safety of his gun pack on and holstered it. He sat down in the upright chair and pulled out a cigarette. He lit it and took a long drag.

"Just like the other 106…" Kaji said to himself. "So, there are 108 companies linked to the Marduk Institute. The first 106 were just as empty and abandoned all around the world in countries where NERV has a base. It's almost like someone is hiding the fact these are front companies in plain sight."

Kaji took another drag of his cigarette. "The Marduk Institute is an advisory body for the ostensible United Nations Human Instrumentality Committee for the Betterment of Mankind… the committee in charge of funding NERV and providing oversight the Commander. That entire Committee is SEELE… they have a great shadow puppet show going too, I just wish I knew what their plans were…"

Kaji took another drag and looked around. "But why set up such an elaborate ploy to select pilots? Rei's file is so scarce on information, it's almost disturbing, and Shinji and Asuka are descendants of two of the Evangelion's creators, with the third person's name redacted from all official documents, she's only referred to as a female… Mari's selection is even odder as she doesn't even show up in any of the old documents I was able to lay my hands on, like she literally appeared out of nowhere…"

Kaji took one last drag from his cigarette and flicked it out into the sandy wasteland from the chair. "What strings is Marduk trying to pull? 108 strings picking pilots seemingly at random… I may not know why those strings are being pulled, but I think I know who is doing the pulling… Gendo Ikari."

* * *

September 10, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Asuka and Shinji had finally completed their training. After their friendly lunch the day before, Asuka and Shinji were finally able to complete the dance without messing up. When they got up this morning, thy decided to practice until they knew they had the dance down pat. So all day long they practiced and practiced and practiced. Once they had done the dance over 100 times without an error, they both felt confident they could fight Israfel tomorrow and win. So, while Asuka told Shinji to shower because he smelled like "a jock strap", she rushed in as soon as he was out and disappeared for a good hour before emerging in a cloud of steam. Asuka had a loose fitting towel wrapped around her breasts, and another one for drying off her hair. Asuka noticed the towel around her slipping and rushed to grab it before Shinji saw anything. Asuka wandered towards her room and didn't hear anyone, so she called out.

"Shinji?!" Asuka called. "Misato?!"

"Yeah!" Shinji replied. "I'm in the living room." Shinji was laying there looking at the ceiling. 'It's nice, this is the first time Asuka and I have really started to get along. Maybe we can finally become friends… maybe after the fight we can just hang out and relax together… that would be nice…'

Asuka peeked out of her room and saw him lying there. "Is Misato here at all?" Asuka asked while she got dressed. "Did she leave or something?"

"Oh, she's at work, she left while you were showering." Shinji called to her. "She said something about making sure the EVAs were ready for tomorrow. She said she'll be there all night, but that she'll be here early to pick us up… or more likely, she'll send Section 2 to get us…"

Asuka emerged from her room in a loose fitting yellow t–shirt and blue short shorts that were entirely hidden by her shirt. "So… that means we're all alone tonight then." Asuka said happily. "You know what that means, don't you?"

"Not really, Asuka." Shinji said. "All I intend to do tonight is sleep, and hope everything goes well tomorrow."

Asuka just looked at him, with a sad look on her face. 'He… didn't get it?' Asuka thought. 'Does being alone with me not even make him… curious? That fucking bastard! I'll show him what he's missing!'

Asuka walked into the living room smiling widely and picked up her bedding and walked to Misato's room only a few feet from where Shinji was sitting, looking very confused as to what she was doing. Asuka dropped her bedding down and slammed Misato's door shut with her foot. Moments later she was on her hands and knees, her breasts entirely exposed from the wide open neck of her t–shirt with a scowl on her face.

"This is the Impenetrable Wall of Jericho, Third Child." Asuka said angrily.

"What?" Shinji said.

"One step over this wall, and you're a dead man." Asuka said angrily. "Now, it's time for children to go to bed!" Asuka slammed the door to Misato's room hard.

Shinji just sat there and stared at the door. "What was all that about?" Shinji muttered.

Inside the door, Asuka looked at it, forlornly. "Why doesn't he get it…" Asuka mumbled. "Why can't he see I need him? Is he that dense? I thought he'd know the Wall of Jericho fell… Shinji why can't you see I was excited to be alone with you, all to myself… I don't like sharing things… I know I'm selfish like that… this is the first time we've truly been alone together, and you had to ruin it…" A single tear ran down Asuka's face. "Why am I crying?" Asuka asked herself quietly. "He can't have affected me this much… could he?"

Shinji was still staring at the door. "Walls of Jericho… why does that sound so familiar, like I've heard it somewhere before…" Shinji muttered as he laid down and looked at the ceiling. "Wait, now I remember…"

**Flashback**

**"Morons." Shinji said. "I guess I was right, because you didn't understand me the first time. Now please just leave me alone."**

**The entire class was paying attention to the fight now, but no one did anything, lest they draw the ire of the two obnoxious bullies.**

**"Hey, look at this tough guy. He never ever speaks, and when he does, he's just insulting. This freak's father killed his mother, and he thinks he can act like some sort of arrogant ass who thinks he's better than us." Hayato said angrily, throwing Shinji's SDAT across the room. "He thinks we'll just leave him alone if he asks nicely. Well, your words are no Wall of Jericho, freak."**

**"Hayato, the Walls of Jericho fell…" Kou whispered quietly.**

**"He doesn't know that, he doesn't pay attention in class." Hayato whispered back.**

**End Flashback**

Shinji shuttered at what happened after that, and then rolled to look at the door Asuka disappeared behind. "Wait… she's smart enough to know that those fell… then why say it…" Shinji breathed in sharply at the realization. "She's worried about something, and wants me to take a hint. Why not just come out and say it." Shinji rolled his eyes. "Because, she's too proud to ask for help…" Shinji got up and walked over to the door. He took a deep breath and opened it. "Asuka, are you ok?" Shinji asked.

'Shinji, you came to check on me…' Asuka thought as she looked up at him, eyes red and puffy. "What do you want, Third Child!" Asuka said angrily. "Just leave me alone!"

"Asuka, I'm not leaving." Shinji said sternly. "I know you're smart enough to know the Walls of Jericho fell, so clearly you wanted me to come talk to you."

"What are you, stupid?! I did not, stop reading into things!" Asuka said. "I should have said the Gates of Troy!"

"Also fell…" Shinji said. "So, what's wrong, Asuka?"

"Nothing!" Asuka said defensively.

"I know that nothing." Shinji said. "It's when you don't want to talk about something uncomfortable."

"How would you know?" Asuka asked.

"Because, I used to want to be alone all the time too." Shinji explained. "I used to hate people, my only friend I ever had left me… I felt abandoned by my mother when she died, and I felt abandoned when my father ditched me in Atsugi… then I was afraid of them because I was bullied all the time, and no one ever stopped to help me. I was alone until I came here and met Hikari. She defended me when Toji punched me out for hurting his sister during the fight with the Third Angel. He was mad at me for that, and Hikari got him to leave me alone, and then she cleaned me up. That's why we're friends. She protected me."

"So what?" Asuka said. "I don't really care why you're friends with anyone."

"Asuka, before Hikari, I had one friend who I can't even remember, that's how long it was between them." Shinji said. "I didn't realize I was lonely until after I became friends with her, and then I just kept making more friends."

"So… Hikari is my friend too." Asuka said.

"Have you hung out with her at all since you arrived, or said more than a few words to her?" Shinji asked.

"No…" Asuka said. "But…"

"No, Asuka, you're not friends, just acquaintances." Shinji said.

"Oh, who asked you, Third Child?!" Asuka shouted. "Now leave me alone!"

"NO, ASUKA!" Shinji shouted. "Your eyes were red and puffy when I came in here, something is wrong, I want to help, and I'm _offering_ you my help, my support, and even my friendship if you'll just _talk_ to me!"

'Why can't he just be nice to me like he is with everyone else…' Asuka thought as she glared at him. "I don't want to!" Asuka said. "You… jerk!"

"Why am _I_ a jerk?" Shinji asked.

"What are you, stupid?! Because you are, baka!" Asuka said angrily. "You just barge in here and tell me your opinions about shit I don't give a flying fuck, then you say I look sad, when I'm not! I just want to go to bed!"

"No, I'm not a jerk Asuka! I was just concerned for someone I thought I cared about!" Shinji said angrily, storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him. 'Jeez, how ungrateful can a person be…' Shinji thought. 'She looks all sad one minute, then yells the next… like a lunatic!' Shinji dropped down onto his mattress and stared up at the ceiling. 'Why do I even like her? She only ever yells at me. I guess I jinxed myself thinking we could get along…'

It was now Asuka's turn to stare at the door. 'Shinji… cared about me?' Asuka thought. 'So he really was concerned… and I just pushed him away… again…' Asuka's face turned a deep shade of red. 'But what did he mean thought he cared about… did I make him hate me?' Once again, another tear rolled down her face. 'Why does this keep happening?! I promised myself I would never cry again! Why does he make me feel this way?!'

Asuka got up and rushed out into the living room, but didn't see Shinji laying there on the floor and tripped over him, kicking poor Shinji right in the side in the process, and causing her to fall down hard on her knee. "Owww!" Asuka yelled as she felt her knee and saw the blood.

Shinji caught his breath after taking Asuka's foot to his ribs to see Asuka on the floor. "Asuka, are you ok?" Shinji asked.

"No, I'm not, baka!" Asuka shouted. "My knee hurts and I'm bleeding!"

Shinji got up and rushed to the bathroom, coming back with a small white box. "Here, sit up, Asuka." Shinji said kindly. He pulled out a bottle of something and poured it generously on her knee.

Asuka shuttered at the stinging sensation. "Baka, Shinji!" Asuka shouted. "Now it hurts more!"

"Well, at least you won't get an infection then, Asuka…" Shinji said as he wiped off her knee and put an ointment on the cut, followed by gently placing a fresh Band–Aid on her wound. "Better?"

"Yeah, a bit…" Asuka muttered.

"Do you need some help up, Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah…" Asuka muttered as the Shinji helped her to her feet. "Thank you… Shinji…" Asuka said kindly, smiling at him.

Shinji smiled back. "You're welcome, Asuka."

Then a thought crossed both of their minds. "Déjà vu…" The two of them mumbled. They looked at each other for a moment, but the feeling passed.

"So, Asuka, what were you in such a rush to talk to me about?" Shinji asked nervously as he sat back down on his bed.

"I…" Asuka said quietly as she sat down next to him. "I just wanted… to say…" Asuka barely said the last part. "Sorry…" Asuka couldn't look up at Shinji. 'I have to tell him why… that I'm afraid about tomorrow, and I want him to keep me safe… like he does to all his friends…' Asuka thought. 'But why do I even want to tell him? Does his opinion really mean that much to me? It can't, the only opinion that matters is my own…'

Shinji smiled. "It's ok, Asuka."

"No it's not, you did what I wanted you to do!" Asuka said angrily without thinking. "You came to see if I was ok, and all I did was yell at you!"

"It's no different than usual…" Shinji started.

"That's the problem!" Asuka said. "I want you to be my friend, but I keep messing it up!" Asuka then gasped and covered her mouth.

Shinji blushed. "Wait… you wanted me to check on you?" Shinji asked.

Asuka blushed heavily while she thought of something to say. 'I can't believe I blurted that all out without thinking, what am I, stupid?!' Asuka thought angrily. 'Well… I can't fix what's been said… what does Kaji always tell me, and it's the same thing Shinji said the other day… take responsibility…' Asuka looked at Shinji's red face. "Yeah… I want to be your friend, Shinji…" Asuka muttered. "I've only ever had one friend too before now, I don't remember them either, just they were really nice to me and made me feel like I was wanted… they were the first kind person I ever met…"

"Oh…" Shinji said. "I'm sorry…"

"What are you apologizing for, baka?!" Asuka snapped. "You didn't abandon me did you?"

"No, just, I know how that feels…" Shinji said. "It makes you sad and angry at the same time."

"Yeah…" Asuka mumbled.

"So, Asuka, what _is_ wrong?" Shinji asked. "You don't seem as confident as you always seem to."

"I'm… um… uh…" Asuka started.

"Afraid?" Shinji asked.

Asuka only nodded.

"It's ok, Asuka, I'm afraid too, I have no idea what might happen tomorrow, but as long as you're there with me, we'll be fine." Shinji put his arm on her shoulder. "It's ok to be afraid you know. It's natural."

"For kids maybe, but not for fearless EVA pilots!" Asuka said proudly. "And you better not tell anyone other, baka!"

"And risk our friendship?" Shinji said. "Not a chance."

"Wait, we're… friends?" Asuka asked, confused at what Shinji had said.

"Yeah, I told you I wanted to be your friend too Asuka, the other day, and a little while ago." Shinji said. "I'm just glad we're friends Asuka."

"So am I." Asuka said. "But don't tell anyone!"

"Why not?" Shinji asked. "Are you embarrassed or something?"

"No, it's just…" Asuka said, unsure of herself. "I just… don't want people to get the wrong idea like they do about you and four eyes dating!"

"Asuka, me and Mari are _not_ dating." Shinji replied. "We're just really good friends."

"Really?" Asuka said, a small smile forming on her face. "Why not tell people that?"

"We've tried, but everyone seems to think differently about it…" Shinji said.

"Oh…" Asuka said. "I thought the other night when I moved in… you two…"

"No, Asuka, she just stayed over because she was concerned about me." Shinji chuckled. "You actually thought we were dating?"

"No… I just hate taking rumors as truth." Asuka said. "So, does that mean she won't mind if I sleep out here next to you, will she?"

"No, I can go get your bed if you want." Shinji said. "Why did you move that anyway?" Shinji asked.

"I just…" Asuka stammered. "I just thought you didn't want to spend time… alone… with me."

"Asuka… that's what you meant by us being alone?" Shinji asked. "You just wanted to spend time with me?"

"Yeah, we've never just talked, alone, without anyone listening or watching us…" Asuka mumbled. "I thought if we could get to know each other better, then we could become friends…"

"Well, you were right, Asuka." Shinji said. "The two of us being alone did make us friends."

Asuka smiled. "So, you don't mind if I sleep next to you, right?" Asuka asked. "I think Misato was just separating us because she couldn't trust you with me."

"Well, Misato's a pervert." Shinji said. "And I don't mind at all. So, I'll just go get your bed then…"

"No!" Asuka blushed. "Why bother I mean… we can just share, right?" Asuka asked.

Shinji was stunned. "Sure, Asuka… we can… share…" Shinji said as he went to shut off the lights. When crawled back onto his futon, Asuka was waiting for him. When he laid back down, she turned and pressed her back against his.

"I'm not too close, am I?" Asuka asked. 'He's so cozy…' Asuka thought.

"No, you're fine." Shinji said, adjusting himself so he'd be comfortable. 'She's so warm…' Shinji thought.

"Goodnight, Asuka." Shinji said.

"Night, Shinji." Asuka replied.

The pair fell asleep quickly, both calmer about tomorrow then they were before their chat, but they both knew they had a rough day ahead of them.

–––

Misato was waiting patiently for the elevator. The last few days she'd gotten almost no sleep what so ever. With the EVAs prepped for tomorrow's battle with the Seventh Angel, Misato needed to be ready for anything. The elevator dinged and instead of an empty car like she was expecting, she was greeted by Kaji.

"Ah, Katsuragi… working hard, or hardly working?" Kaji asked.

"Oh, so you're back already?" Misato said.

Kaji smiled. "I'm touched that you noticed I was gone."

"Yeah, you're touched alright." Misato grumbled. "I was just glad to be rid of you for a while."

"Such harsh words, Katsuragi…" Kaji said. "And, it certainly has been a very long time since we've been alone like this."

"Yeah, I don't like being this close to you." Misato growled.

"Katsuragi, why so angry?" Kaji asked. "I'm sure whatever Shinji told Asuka has worked out in the past few days. How are they doing?"

"They're as ready as they'll ever be." Misato replied. "And my anger has nothing to do with them."

"Fine, why are you always so angry around _me_?" Kaji asked.

"Because you piss me off!" Misato said.

"What could I have done to piss off such a beautiful flower?" Kaji asked.

"You left me!" Misato shouted. "You accuse me one night of cheating on you and then you leave me all alone! Didn't you hear me call out to you?!"

"Of course I heard you Misato…" Kaji said. "I keep hearing those worlds every night in my nightmares, the second worst night of my life was leaving you there… alone…"

"What was the first?" Misato asked. "What could possibly trump leaving your girlfriend alone when you'd just had a fight, you never even called me!"

"My brother, Misato… Taichi…" Kaji said. "Or had you forgotten?"

"Oh… no I didn't mean…" Misato mumbled. "I'm… I'm sorry, Kaji…"

"It's fine, I know that night was rough on us both…" Kaji said. "I'm…"

"No, you don't get to be sorry!" Misato snapped. "You left, and sent a fucking box for me to send your stuff back in! You made cry for two days after I sent that stuff off, and you never spoke to me again! I don't see you for seven fucking years, and you act like nothing's happened! What the fuck is wrong with you!"

Kaji flipped the stop switch on the elevator, stopping it and plunging the car into a red, dimly lit ambiance. "Misato, do you remember what you said that night?" Kaji asked. "You had just told me you cheated on me, something I still don't believe you did. I was mad you were lying, mad you were keeping something from me. I told you everything about myself, even the parts that would make most people run away, but you stayed, and then something changed you… I don't know what, but you changed, and whatever you tried to do that night, I've forgiven you a long time ago, Misato…"

Misato's anger vanished from Kaji's explanation. "But…" Misato mumbled. "I just wanted…" Misato struggled to find the words to describe what she wanted, but settled for something else instead, she dropped the files in her hands, and gave a passionate kiss to the man she still loved.

Kaji returned the kiss just as passionately, and he lifted her against the wall, and Misato wrapped her legs around his waist, immensely enjoying the moment, until she came to her senses, she was still angry over the face he never admitted his love for her. Misato jerked her head away from Kaji and pushed him away.

"Misato…" Kaji said. "Did I…?"

"Yes, you did…" Misato said. "You left me all alone…" Misato flipped the switch on the door and the elevator moved again, with Misato standing with her back against the door. When the elevator dinged, Misato backed out of the elevator quickly and fixed her mussed clothes. "Forget it Kaji, there isn't anything between us anymore. Don't ever do that again."

"But, Misato, you might be saying no, but your heart and your lips don't agree with your mind." Kaji said picking up Misato's files. "Tell me, Misato, which truth should I trust?" Kaji extended the folders to Misato. "Your lips, or your words?"

Misato slapped the files onto the ground, and Kaji bowed slightly. "I understand, Katsuragi…" Kaji said as the door closed once again.

Misato picked up her files and stared at the door angrily, and then her face turned to a sad one. 'That's twice I've pushed him away…' Misato thought. 'Why can't I just be honest with him? And why can't he just admit he still loves me? And now that son of a bitch left me alone…' Misato through the files at the elevators doors and vocalized the last words of her thoughts quite loudly. "AGAIN!"

–––

Misato was now relaxing and thinking over what had just happened in the elevator. She was all alone in the observation lounge that looked out over the Geofront. Misato was startled when someone put a cup of coffee down next to her. She was about to bite their head off when she realized it was only Ritsuko.

"Oh, thanks, Ritz…" Misato said.

"Well, it looks like you could use it, Misato." Ritsuko replied. "So, what's troubling you? Is it Shinji and Asuka?"

"No, they're fine." Misato said. "They both did great today, they're even in sync, it's just something else is all…"

"Would this "something else" involve a certain, unshaven man in your life?" Ritsuko asked.

"He is _not_ in my life!" Misato shouted.

"Sure he's not, Misato." Ritsuko said condescendingly. "That's why he looked so sad when I saw him a few minutes ago. I figured you had something to do with it." Misato just drank her coffee and ignored what Ritsuko was saying. "I mean, I'm sure he's still in love with you, at least that's what his frown said."

"He isn't any of my concern anymore, Ritz." Misato said coldly. "He hasn't been in a really long time."

'So sad, she still loves him, even after that messy breakup…' Ritsuko thought. 'How pathetic, at least Gendo tells me he loves me, unlike… Kaji… the man who's afraid of his feelings. It's all so pathetic, what does she even see in him anyway?'

Misato was sitting and drinking her coffee quietly while Ritsuko stared intently at her. 'Please, I'm not still in love with Kaji, at least, I don't think I am… was he right? Did my heart override what my mind keeps telling me?' Misato thought. 'No… I was just tired and lonely, I only kissed him because it was… convenient… right?'

"So what did you two do that made him so sad, did you turn him down, or did you kiss him and tell him it didn't mean anything?" Ritsuko asked knowingly.

Misato promptly spit out her coffee. "WHAT?!" Misato shouted. "I did no such thing!"

"Sure, Misato." Ritsuko said. "But I can tell he still likes you, but the question remains, what feelings do you still hold in your heart for him?"

"Absolutely none!" Misato said angrily. "I fell out of love with him that night! He couldn't return my love, so I took mine back!"

"Well, the way you're reacting says you still feel something towards him, who knows why, but you seem to…" Ritsuko said. "You'll have to face those feelings eventually, you know. You can't run away from them forever, what example would that set for Shinji?"

"But I'm not running from anything, except his smug face!" Misato said.

"See, it's that kind of talk that makes me not believe you're telling the truth about how you feel." Ritsuko said. "Perhaps you should try thinking about why you react that way around him, it's probably just as simple as a disagreement between you heart and your mind." Ritsuko stood up. "Goodnight, Misato, I'll see you in Central Dogma in the morning."

"Goodnight, Ritsuko." Misato said. 'Ritsuko and Kaji had the same thought… maybe they're right...' Misato thought as her friend walked away.

–––

Shinji awoke in the middle of the night to Asuka trembling heavily in her sleep. She had repositioned herself since falling asleep to have her arms wrapped around him, and she was holding him tightly.

"Asuka…" Shinji said as he struggled free of her grip. He turned to face her and saw what looked to be a face full of fear. "Asuka?"

Asuka didn't respond, but her body stopped shivering at the sound of his voice. Her face calmed down, but a few tears escaped her closed eyes.

'I wonder what's wrong with her?' Shinji thought. 'She looks so peaceful though…' Shinji looked at her face, and her lips. 'She just looks so beautiful…' Shinji moved slowly towards Asuka's slightly puckered lips with his own. But before he could kiss her, Asuka muttered something.

"Momma…" Asuka muttered quietly.

Shinji stopped himself. 'What was I thinking?' Shinji thought. 'I can't do this while she's so vulnerable… thinking about her mother… and crying? Why is she crying, did her mother die too?' Shinji looked at Asuka's face again. 'I know I want to kiss her, like the girl in my dreams, but I know she'd never forgive me if I did… and she wouldn't understand either…'

"Why… did you have to die?" Asuka murmured.

'Now I know why she's crying…' Shinji thought. 'She lost her mother too…' Shinji looked at Asuka's face. 'And I was going to try and kiss her… she was right, I can be a real jerk at times…' Shinji brushed the hair out of Asuka's face. "Sorry, Asuka…" Shinji whispered.

"Baka, Shinji…" Asuka muttered in response.

Shinji stared at Asuka. 'Is she awake?' Shinji thought, but Asuka's slow breathing however proved otherwise. 'It's like she knew…'

Shinji rolled back over, his back facing Asuka once again. As if she unconsciously knew he moved, Asuka snuggled back up to Shinji and wrapped her arms around him once more, her hand brushing Shinji's cheek very slightly. 'Her hand is so soft…' Shinji thought as he once again drifted back to sleep.

* * *

September 11, 2015 – NERV HQ

Both Evangelions were on the launch pads, waiting for the command to intercept and destroy the Angels. While the two were waiting anxiously, Shinji was sitting in his Entry Plug and trying to relax when a private comm line beeped, and Shinji answered it.

" _Hey, Shinji_." Asuka said over a visual comm line.

"Hi, Asuka." Shinji relied. "What's up?"

" _I just wanted to remind you to keep our… compromising position a secret._ " Asuka said. " _If I even sense anyone else knows about last night I'll castrate you with a blunt rock._ "

"Asuka, I told you this morning its ok, I won't tell anyone." Shinji said calmly. "Besides, you were really comfortable to be near…"

" _Baka!_ " Asuka shouted. " _You can't talk to a girl like that!_ "

"Sorry…" Shinji said. "But I was just telling the truth…"

Shinji saw the holographic Asuka blush. " _Oh…_ " Asuka then glared at him over the line. " _Don't be getting any ideas, baka, we're just friends!_ "

"I would only dream of it, Asuka." Shinji said without thinking.

" _What was that?!_ " Asuka said loudly.

"I said I wouldn't dream of it, Asuka." Shinji corrected himself.

" _That's what I thought._ " Asuka said before she closed the line and Misato contacted them both.

" _Ready you two?_ " Misato asked.

" _Yeah, Misato, I'm ready!_ " Asuka said proudly.

"Ready, Misato!" Shinji replied.

" _You two know the plan?_ " Misato asked.

Asuka scoffed. " _We launch and then deploy our A.T. Fields immediately when we reach the surface, then we execute the choreography we've been practicing._ "

"We'll be working in full operational mode at maximum output, and will only have 62 seconds before the internal batteries run out to accomplish our goal of killing the Angels." Shinji finished.

" _Glad to see you two are prepared._ " Misato said.

" _Hey, miso soup, can we wish them luck yet?_ " Mari asked.

Misato grumbled. " _Fine, Mari, but make it quick, the Angels will be moving soon._ " Misato paused. " _And you are to_ never _call me that again, Mari!_ "

" _That's what you'd like to think…_ " Mari muttered. " _Heya, puppy, princess, we're all wishing you luck out there… me, miso, blueberry, even scruffy!_ " Mari said happily.

"Mari, who's scruffy looking?" Shinji asked.

" _Kaji of course!_ " Mari said. " _Silly puppy…_ "

"Of course he is…" Shinji said. "Thanks, Mari."

" _Yeah, thanks I guess…_ " Asuka said. " _Not that we need luck!_ "

" _Ok, Mari, you got to tell them good luck, but we have to deploy them now!_ " Misato said.

" _Yeah, yeah, give it a rest miso…_ " Mari quipped. " _Bye, puppy!_ "

–––

Several squadrons of VTOLs were hovering around the immobile Kou and Otsu. Their damaged and partly melted bodies from the N2 attack had healed, and they stirred. Kou moved first, followed by his sister, and they began to move in sync towards Tokyo–3 once more. As the moved forward, their Cores resonated with each other and they recombinant into the larger Israfel.

The VTOLs followed the creature and reported back to NERV that Israfel was on the move. The AIS had been activated in advance of Israfel's awakening, and opened fire, leaving very little damage behind on the fully healed Angel.

–––

" _Major, the Angel has recombined and is on the move!_ " Aoba reported. " _ETA is 120 seconds!_ "

" _The Angel appears to be fully healed._ " Maya reported. " _The AIS is having minimal effect, ma'am. It's moving at a steady pace. MAGI predict their final destination is NERV HQ._ "

" _Understood._ " Misato said. " _Get ready you two._ "

"Roger." They both replied in unison.

" _The Seventh Angel has passed the inner defense line, intercept is now possible!_ " Hyuga reported. " _Dual intercept path laid in and ready, Major._ "

" _Well, it's now or never._ " Misato said. " _Purge external power lines! Release docking latches!_ " Misato ordered.

The power cables on the back of both EVAs fired their retro rockets and released, displaying a timer reading "1:02:00" which immediately began to count down. The restraints holding the Evangelions released at the same time, freeing the Evangelions for immediate combat.

" _Evangelion Unit–01… Evangelion Unit–02… LAUNCH!_ " Misato ordered.

The music started to play and the launch pads shot up towards the surface, when they locked in place, both Evangelions leapt into the air, staring down as Israfel. At the apex of their leap, they both deployed extendable poles they threw down that Israfel deflected. The poles landed front and behind and activated an energy field that bisected Israfel, splitting it into Kou and Otsu.

Both Evangelions landed on their knees, and each stood up to face see an armory building hand them a Pallet Rifle. They both shot at an Israfel. Unit–01 taking on Kou, and with Unit–02 taking on Otsu. The bullets only harassed the Angels and they fired back with weak energy blasts that the EVAs dodged by somersaulting backwards until the reached a point in the road that was triggered to shoot up an armored plate to block the blast. Unlike Ramiel's massive blast, this twin blasts only warped the armor. Both EVAs popped out from behind the armored plate and returned fire as the Angels jumped forward and slashed through the armored plate as the EVAs dodged sideways and a focused barrage from the AIS held the Angels in place while Shinji and Asuka prepared for their next strike.

"YAAAAHHHHH!" They both shouted as their EVAs crouched and spread their arms wide, and readying themselves to strike.

Both EVAs moved forward and delivered a devastating right uppercut to the Angels quickly followed up with a roundhouse kick from either side that forced the Angels to recombine into a very pissed off looking Israfel, but leaving the Cores separate for the time being. Both Evangelions then got ready to strike the finishing blow.

"HERE WE GO!" They both shouted triumphantly sending their EVAs into the air, as they twirled into the apex of their jump, they both lined themselves up for the final strike, a directed kick at the twin Cores.

"TAKE THIS YOU SON OF A BITCH!" They both shouted as the EVASs came plunging down to Earth, Unit–01's right foot against Unit–02's left, and they delivered the final blow, each putting a foot right through a Core, shattering them utterly and causing Israfel to dissolve into a pile of blood on the ground.

The fight ended with "0:01:18" left on the timer, allowing both EVAs to land and crouch appropriately before the power shut down.

Shinji was smiling widely at the blank Entry plug walls, and Asuka contacted him, voice only. " _Heya, Shinji, you ok?_ "

"Yeah, how about you? Your EVA still standing?" Shinji asked.

" _Of course, baka!_ " Asuka said. " _Do you expect anything less?_ "

"No, just making sure my friend is ok." Shinji said.

" _Awww, puppy!_ " Mari said loudly into the comm. " _You made a new friend?_ "

" _This was a private line, four eyes!_ " Asuka shouted.

" _For what?_ " Mari purred. " _Pillow talk?_ "

" _Pervert!_ " Asuka shouted. " _Get your four eyed head out of the gutter!_ "

"Hey guys, stop arguing…" Shinji muttered.

" _Enough you two, stop bickering!_ " Misato said angrily. " _Good job you two! You executed everything perfectly!_ "

"Thanks, Misato." Shinji said.

" _Yeah, well, we're the best._ " Asuka said.

" _So, you're admitting Shinji's as good as you?_ " Mari purred. " _Puppy, what did you do to the lonely German? Did you ease her tension in some way?_ "

"Mari…" Shinji warned.

" _Well, did you?_ " Mari purred seductively.

Shinji grimaced. "Mari… just stop."

" _Oh… you did puppy!_ " Mari squealed. " _You popped the princess' cherry!_ "

" _Fucking pervert!_ " Asuka screamed. " _When I get out of this Entry Plug, I'm going to kick your ass!_ "

" _I'd love to see you try…_ " Mari said.

" _Enough!_ " Misato said. " _I'm going to send a power cord to you guys so we can recover you easily. See you back in the cage._ "

"Misato, you may want security on standby for when we get back…" Shinji joked. "It could get messy in there…"

* * *

September 14, 2015 – Tokita Apartments

Mari sat in her dark apartment. She had drawn the shades and shut off her cellphone and unplugged the landline from the wall. Mari sat quietly in the darkness contemplating the anniversary of her own death.

"How do I deal with the fact I was presumed dead and gone seventeen years ago today?" Mari asked herself. "Well, that's not so hard, I just have to keep lying to Shinji. But how do I keep this secret _from_ Shinji… I don't want to keep lying to him forever, but I don't really have a choice, do I? If I tell him, he may hate me, and I don't want that, I care about him too much, I don't want to lose him because of my past… my real past with his mother… and Asuka's mother… he doesn't need to know does he?" Mari asked again. "No, he wouldn't be able to handle it, and I can't protect him effectively from things if he knows who I am… but that doesn't mean I love him any less. He makes me feel happy, like I used to, and so does Rei, but for different reasons…"

Mari stood up and put on her school uniform, and grabbed her backpack. "I'm sorry, Shinji, I won't be at school today, I have somewhere to go…"

–––

Mari was walking in a graveyard, carrying a bouquet of flowers.

"Hello mom, hello dad. How have you been?" Mari said quietly. "It's been 23 years since I was last here… there's a lot I have to catch you up on." Mari looked at the gravestones. There was a new one in between her parents, marking her own death.

"Well, I don't feel a shiver on my spine, so I guess I'm not walking on my own grave." Mari joked. "But that headstone isn't entirely wrong. I did die that day 17 years ago. The old me died slowly in the Core with that utter bitch Lilith… And I know I promised you guys I would never come back, but that was 23 years ago, and I'm still only 16… it's been pretty fucked up lately, I can tell you that much. But dying isn't so bad, I have a second chance at life, the life I never had when I was a child after the accident. I ignored my childhood to make you guys proud and to escape the bullies. I shouldn't have done that. I should have just been a fucking kid. But I wasn't, but at least the accident gave me a chance to be again. I have some wonderful friends now, they treat me so nicely, and I'm happy for the first time in a long, long time."

Mari smiled down on the three headstones. "So, I know I said this the last time, but I'm here to mark my own death, to mark the death of the girl who was lonely and afraid of her feelings." Mari laid the flowers down. "Thanks to Shinji, I'm not like that anymore, I can be… myself." Mari stood back up. "Goodbye mom, goodbye dad, goodbye Mari…"

Mari walked away, back towards the relatively unharmed city of Sapporo. "It's amazing that the city was unharmed. I know I saw my old favorite restaurant back there, and it was still open… I guess one more time won't hurt, this time in memory of the old me… and then I can move on from who I once was and begin my new life with a clean slate…" Mari said as she walked towards town, and away from who she used to be.

–––

Shinji was sitting quietly in his room looking nervously at his cell phone.

'I wonder where Mari was today?' Shinji thought. 'Well, I can't think about that now, I have to make this phone call before I lose my nerve…'

Shinji picked up and dialed the phone.

Brrring… brrring… brrring…

" _Yes…_ " A male voice replied.

"Uh… father?" Shinji said nervously. "I was wondering if you were…"

" _Spit it out, Shinji, I am very busy._ " Gendo replied.

"Do you remember what day tomorrow is?" Shinji asked.

Gendo was silent for a moment. " _What… day?_ "

"Yes…" Shinji replied nervously.

" _What about tomorrow?_ " Gendo asked.

Shinji lost his nerve. "Nothing…"

" _Do not call me unless it's important._ " Gendo said.

CLICK

"It's the anniversary of my mother's death…" Shinji muttered to the phone. "Father…"

* * *

September 15, 2015 – Outside Tokyo–3, Mass Cemetery

Mari was walking in the cemetery near Tokyo–3, the cemetery where Yui was buried. She didn't have anything with her other than her backpack. Mari had just come back from Sapporo on the train and was exhausted. It was just Dawn outside, and there was barely enough light to see the grave markers, but Mari found Yui's without a problem.

"Hey, Yui." Mari said. "I know you're not here, but seeing as I was already at my fake grave, I may as well come to yours too. I know it's been 14 years since you were absorbed, and I'm sure Gendo and Shinji will be by here later…" Mari looked around. "I don't know why I came here, I just wanted to see it I guess… I'm just eccentric like that." Mari said happily. "At least that's what Shinji calls it anyway." Mari looked at her watch. "Well, if I don't want to miss another day of school, I should get going… bye Yui!"

–––

Shinji and Asuka left for school a little earlier than usual. Toji, Kensuke and Hikari said they'd meet them at school, as they had do something when they arrived. However when they reached the first corner, Shinji turned to go the wrong direction.

"Hey, baka, you're going the wrong way!" Asuka said.

"No, I'm not going in today." Shinji said. "Just tell Hikari I wasn't feeling well."

"What are you doing?" Asuka asked.

"I just have something to do." Shinji said glumly. "Bye Asuka…"

Shinji began walking away and Asuka stared at him. 'I wonder what's wrong with him?' Asuka thought. 'I wasn't even mean to him today and he looks all depressed.' Asuka looked at Shinji's retreating form. 'I should follow him and see what he's up to.'

Asuka began to follow Shinji stealthily on his long walk out of the city. They came to a massive field where tens of thousands of grave markers could be seen. Asuka kept her distance, but still made sure she could see him.

'He's going to a cemetery?' Asuka thought. 'Who does he know that died?'

Asuka followed him just past the entrance in the cemetery, and crouched down near the gates and watched where he was walking. He was heading towards the only other person in the place at the moment. A figure that looked awfully familiar.

'Is that… the Commander?' Asuka thought. 'Why would they be meeting here?'

Shinji, still unaware he had been followed walked towards his father. "Hello… father."

"It's been three years since the last time we came here together." Gendo said plainly as he placed a bouquet of flowers on Yui's gravestone.

"I know… I ran away then, and haven't been back since." Shinji said. "It still hasn't sunk in that mother is resting here. I don't even remember her face."

"Man survives by forgetting his memories, but there are some things a man should never forget. Yui taught me about the irreplaceable things. I come here once a year to confirm that." Gendo said. "I could never forget her…"

"Father…" Shinji asked. "What was mother like? Do you have any pictures of her you could… show me?"

"Yui was the kindest and sweetest person I ever met, nothing in the entire universe could ever hope to replace her, and there are none left, Shinji." Gendo replied. "And Yui is not here either, Shinji, this grave is only a decoration to honor her memory even after I am gone. There is no corpse here, there never was."

"So sensei wasn't lying, you threw out everything regarding my mother… even me!"

"I keep everything in my heart, Shinji… that is enough for now." Gendo replied. "I will see your mother again, one day…"

Shinji stared at his father as the sound of a VTOL could be heard, and Shinji looked up to see one approaching.

"It's time for me to get going." Gendo said. "I'm leaving now."

"Father! Um, I'm glad I got to talk to you today."

"I see…" Gendo grimaced. "Shinji, don't look for me anymore."

"What?" Shinji asked.

"People only live by their own strength. They only grow by their own strength. Only infants need parents, and you are no longer an infant." Gendo said as he walked towards the landing VTOL. "Stand on your own two feet, and walk. I learned to do the same."

"But…" Shinji stammered. "I…"

"Shinji." Gendo turned to look at his son again. "Don't think we can try to understand each other. For some reason, people think they can do that." Gendo turned and walked towards the awaiting VTOL. "Remember that they cannot, never completely, and never enough." Gendo walked onto the aircraft and stared directly at Shinji. "People are such sad creatures."

As the VTOL took off, Shinji noticed someone in the window, Rei, who was staring down at him with a gloomy look on her face.

'What's Rei doing here?' Shinji thought. 'Why would he bring her here?'

–––

Gendo was onboard the VTOL with Rei, he watched the figure of Shinji from afar as the aircraft flew away. He then turned to Rei to see her staring intently at Shinji.

'How odd for her to be interested in looking at other people, even if she is in all essence, his sister. I wonder if she can sense that innate kinship…' Gendo thought. "How are things going, Rei?" Gendo asked. "How do you feel?"

"Oh…" Rei said as she looked up. "I am doing well, Commander. Tomorrow evening I go to see Dr. Akagi again for a checkup. The new medication she's given me is working much better than the old one. Then I go back to school the day after tomorrow."

"I see." Gendo said. "And how is school?"

"There are no problems." Rei replied.

"I'm glad to hear that, Rei." Gendo said.

Rei looked over at Gendo with a blank stare. 'Why does he bring me here? What significance could it hold to me?' Rei thought. 'It seems illogical for him to bring me here if we only ever talk about work or school. There must be some reason he is hiding from me. Whenever we leave here, a part of him stays in this place, like whoever he was visiting holds some special significance… I just wonder who this person is.'

–––

Shinji watched as the VTOL flew away with Rei looking down solemnly at Shinji. As it flew away, Asuka came up behind Shinji and placed her hand on his shoulder, making him jump.

"Asuka?!" Shinji shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Shinji, is everything ok?" Asuka asked. "You look worse than you did when we left this morning."

"It's nothing to worry about Asuka." Shinji said dejectedly.

"The hell it's not, you look like you're going to cry!" Asuka said. "Just tell me what's wrong! I told you the other day!"

"Today is the anniversary of the day my mother died…" Shinji muttered. "The last time I came here, I ran away back to Atsugi, because my father called me here and he didn't want to take me back."

"Why were you in Atsugi?" Asuka asked. "Is that what you meant when you said he abandoned you?"

"Yeah… after my mother died, he left me with someone." Shinji said. "I didn't see him again till I came here three years ago, then I ran away and the next time I saw him, he told me to get in the EVA, and he never speaks to me, he treats me like some sort of reminder that my mother is dead, like I'm the one who killed her." Shinji's eyes welled with tears. "Why can't he just be a father to me? Why can't he just say… hello?" Shinji broke down crying. "I hate him, Asuka, I hate him for abandoning me!"

Asuka wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. "Shinji, will you man up?" Asuka said. "You don't need to cry, he's just a jerk." Asuka then realized what she was doing. 'Why am I hugging him? What made me do that?'

"But…" Shinji started.

"No buts, Shinji!" Asuka said. "You can't think about him like that anymore. Just look at him as some weak man who abandons children because he sees them as inconvenient. He's not worth your time."

"But he's still…" Shinji started again.

"Shinji, can you just shut up?!" Asuka said loudly. "I don't think your mother would like her son crying on top of her grave like that."

"I don't think she'd mind…" Shinji said.

"Shinji, you can really be dense sometimes." Asuka said. "So do you want to go home, and just talk? School kinda blows, so we can just act like we were both sick."

"Sure, Asuka…" Shinji replied, wiping his nose. "But, I have a question before we go."

"Go for it." Asuka said, letting go of him.

"Why did you follow me here?" Shinji asked.

"Well… I was…" Asuka started. 'Why did I follow him here? I followed him because he looked so sad, I wanted to make sure he was ok…' Asuka thought. 'Why do I do such strange things around him, like I'm… attracted to him or something…'

"Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, uh I followed you here because I was worried about you." Asuka said. "We spent all that time together training, I just wanted to make sure you were ok…"

"That's very sweet, Asuka." Shinji smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome… I guess." Asuka said. "Consider yourself lucky though, I don't take pity on many people you know."

"Well, lucky or not, why don't we head back." Shinji said. "Just, one thing first…"

"Sure…" Asuka said as Shinji walked to his mother's gravestone and knelt down. "Mother, I'm sorry, I do hate father so much. I know you loved him dearly, but please understand why I hate him so…" Shinji teared up again. "And I'm sorry I haven't visited in so long, I promise to stop by again, and I won't run away either…"

Asuka looked at Shinji and felt like she wanted to cry. 'Why am I empathizing with him? I don't care about him like that, I'm independent, and I don't need anyone.'

Shinji stood up and walked back to Asuka. "I'm ready…"

"Alright, Shinji." Asuka said. "But are you sure you're ok?"

"No…" Shinji replied. "But I will be… eventually."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 58.3% (+6.5%)  
Asuka – 46.1% (+0.8%)  
Mari – 41.9% (New)  
Rei – 41.6% (+5.2%)

So, this chapter is based on Episode 9 of the anime, if you couldn't already tell. Also, used a lot of the manga for this as well. That episode is my favorite of the series, as they seem to train using the game *cough* Dance Dance Revolution *cough* and I was disappointed that Rebuild left out this awesome Angel.

Holy shit, long chapter, but lots to go over. Everyone meeting for the first time, Israfel, and of course, the Impenetrable Walls of Jericho (my ass…). Now, the Walls of Jericho changes had a good breadcrumb way back in the beginning of Chapter 3, showing that Shinji already knew that the walls fell, and he happened to remember this little factoid that changed so much. So, those changes should have been at least expected if you noticed it. Also if you notice the conversation of Shinji and Asuka after she falls, it may seem quite similar to an earlier one they had…

The reason I went over Kensuke taking the pots in detail is that no one seems to care he took photos of the girls changing. Sure, to me, all the pictures were a bit creepy, like telephoto lens creepy. But the fact he climbed a tree or something to get the shots of them changing was just gross, and no one in the show points it out, which is even more disturbing. So, he's set straight here, by Shinji and Hikari. As for the secret she knows about him, it will be revealed much later in the story.

As a note, Mari is a mix of bisexual and omnisexual, basically, she sees people's gender, but doesn't really care, as she's attracted to both, and tends to follow her heart to whomever she likes. She already loves Yui, and has a crush on Shinji for varying reasons, and she finds both Asuka and Rei attractive, so she's not exactly set in her ways, as she is still discovering her sexuality. Also, Shinji talking to her about it being ok and explaining internet porn was more to show her she doesn't need a VHS player and a subscription to Penthouse to get off anymore, it's not the 80s or 90s.

As for the scenes after the Angel, well, the timing fit this chapter far better than the next one, so it was added onto the end. I couldn't leave out the cemetery scene with Gendo, could I? And then Mari is contemplating her own issues with having been displaced in time by being absorbed into the Core, and also dealing with the anniversary of her death (and rebirth…) is also not something to be looked over.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	10. Deep in the Heart of a Volcano; Sandalphon Matures

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode IV: The Last Hope

* * *

Chapter 10 – Deep in the Heart of a Volcano; Sandalphon Matures  
October 28, 2015 – NERV HQ

Mari was walking into the Cage while everyone was doing other things. In the Cage, standing side by side were Unit–01 and Unit–02. Mari walked up to both Evangelions, and sat on the catwalk directly in–between them and looked up into their massive faces.

"Hiya, Yui." Mari said. "Sorry for not visiting sooner, I've been kinda busy making sure little Shinji stays out of trouble. I hope you're ok with that."

Unit–01's eyes glowed.

"I'm glad you're good with that…" Mari said as she turned to Unit–02. "Hi, Kyoko… long time no see."

Unit–02's four eyes glowed in response.

"I'm glad to see you too, Kyoko." Mari said. "I've missed you both so much while I was trapped. I wished that I could get out to just show you I was ok, and then I get out and you two were well… you know, that's the way you are right now."

Unit–01 and Unit–02 flashed their eyes on and off in acknowledgment.

"Thanks you two… and sorry about that, I wasn't thinking." Mari said. "But I do want you to know, that both your kids are doing great. I'm keeping a close eye on them, and I think I have a way of making that task easier."

Both EVA's eyes glowed brightly.

Mari looked at them both tearfully. "I know you guys won't be mad at what I'm planning, it's for the best really. I just want to keep a close eye on them both, and seeing as they're living together, there really is only one way to do that." Mari smiled at them both. "It was nice to chat with you two again, just like old times…"

Both EVA's eyes shut down and Mari walked quietly out of the Cage.

–––

Misato was sitting in her office quite against her will. As the Director of Tactical Operations, she was still saddled with paperwork from the battles with Gaghiel and Israfel, one battle which had destroyed a large portion of the U.N. fleet, and the other where the U.N. wasted another N2 mine on an Angel.

Misato had her door closed so she could work in peace, and she'd told Ritsuko to leave her the hell alone as she had a lot of work to do, so when Misato heard a knock on her door, she glared at the door because she had been interrupted.

"Come in." Misato grumbled.

Mari walked in nervously. "Hey, miso, how ya doing?"

"Busy." Misato said curtly. "And didn't I tell you not to call me that?" Misato asked.

"I don't listen so well." Mari smirked. "Besides, nicknames are also fun!"

"Mari, I'm busy, so I don't have time for your cuteness right now." Misato said.

"You think I'm cute?" Mari asked adorably. "Am I kawaii though?!"

"I'm going to regret saying this…" Misato sighed. "But, yes Mari… you're kawaii…"

"YAY!" Mari shouted. "You're the best, Misato!" Mari bounded around the desk and hugged Misato tightly. "Oh, you're so nice.

"And I regret it…" Misato mumbled. "Mari, you're crushing me…"

Mari let go of Misato and blushed. "Sorry, it was just so nice what you said, I got a little excited…" Mari hugged Misato again. "Sometimes I _just_ can't contain myself."

"Yea, its uh… ok, Mari." Misato said. "But why did you come to see me? I am really busy here with all this, well its shit really, but I'm the one stuck doing it."

Mari blushed even more. "Well, I'm just a little embarrassed by asking, but I was hoping that I could ask you something important… like really important."

"Sure, Mari, what is it?" Misato asked.

"I'd… uh… I want to move in with you and Shinji and even… Asuka too." Mari said nervously. "It's just…"

Misato looked worriedly at Mari. "Mari, what's wrong?" Misato asked. "Why do you want to move in? Is something wrong with the apartment you're living in?"

"No it's just…" Mari stammered. "I don't like being alone… and my apartments nice… but it's not exactly a warm and inviting place…"

"Mari, you're just lonely?" Misato asked. "But you're over all the time. Do you really need to move in?"

"Yeah, but it's not the same… I don't want to just… live somewhere…" Mari stammered. "I… uh… um… just want…"

"To be home…" Misato finished. "I know the feeling Mari… all too well." Misato stood up and patted Mari on the back. "Before Shinji, I was pretty much alone, and I only ever lived places, but his apartment, I call it home now because it feels that way." Misato hugged Mari. "You can move in, but I'll have to get permission from, either the Sub–Commander, or the Commander himself."

"Really?" Mari asked. "You'd really let me move in?"

"Of course, but where am I going to put you?" Misato said. "I mean, I could switch rooms with Asuka…" or have Shinji and Asuka bunk together… I'll figure it out."

"I can share with Asuka, I'll be good." Mari said. "I promise!"

"Yeah, but Asuka…" Misato said. "She doesn't… well… she doesn't share so well."

"Don't worry, Shinji will keep us from killing each other…" Mari said. "At least I think so anyway…"

"Oh, that sounds promising…" Misato muttered.

"Well, I wouldn't tell anyone until you're sure I'm, you know, _allowed_ to move in." Mari said. "I don't know how you could break it to her either."

"I'll figure something out." Misato said. "But what do I tell the Sub–Commander or the Commander about the reason you want to move in. I don't think the truth will _quite_ work."

"Well, I wouldn't be late to school much anymore, or it would build comradery between us pilots, these might work as a reason, or that having three pilots under one roof makes it easier to keep an eye on us…"

"That last one could work." Misato said. "I'll use that one and see what happens, ok?" Misato said.

Mari smiled. "Whatever you can do, I'd appreciate miso."

"Yeah, I really don't like that name, Mari." Misato said.

"But, miso, I never give someone a nickname that I don't like." Mari said. "It's like my way of saying we're friends."

"So, you calling Asuka…" Misato said.

"Yep!" Mari replied. "I call her princess because I think she's kinda fun to be around." Mari smirked. "An explosive personality can be fun to be around."

"That's… interesting." Misato said. "Well, I guess the name's ok then. Seeing as it's a friendly thing you do…"

"Thanks, miso!" Mari hugged her again. "I think I'll really like living with you guys."

–––

Fuyutsuki was waiting outside Gendo's office. He had just had a visit from Misato in his own office, and given a very interesting request for Mari to move in with Misato and her two current wards. Misato also wanted to be appointed her guardian instead of Fuyutsuki when she moved in.

'Well, I guess Mari just wants to be closer to those two, but to move in?' Fuyutsuki thought as he waited to knock. 'I think the request has merit, but Gendo doesn't like Shinji and Mari being friends, having them live together would probably give him a coronary…' Fuyutsuki sighed. 'I guess I need to run those by him for his approval…'

Fuyutsuki knocked loudly.

"Enter." Gendo said from within.

Fuyutsuki walked in somewhat nervously.

"Well, Fuyutsuki, what seems to be the issue, you were out there for a while." Gendo said. "It must be quite important."

"It is." Fuyutsuki said. "Major Katsuragi came to me with a request from Mari. She wishes to move into the Major's apartment with Shinji and Asuka."

"Absolutely not." Gendo said.

"But, Ikari…" Fuyutsuki pleaded.

"I do not like them being together." Gendo said. "Mari is a bad influence on Shinji, and I also don't like her being so close to Asuka either."

"Ikari, what are you saying?" Fuyutsuki asked. "Why does it matter if she's near Asuka, she isn't even your child…"

"That's right, you do not know…" Gendo sighed. "Fuyutsuki, you most likely do not know that Kyoko and I were in a relationship before her transfer to Kyoto University."

"But what does that have to do with Mari?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"While I am in love with Yui, part of me still cares for Kyoko, so I will strive to protect Asuka as I would Shinji, and that means keeping her away from them both."

"Ikari, how do you think we'll keep Mari happy if you refuse to let her be so?" Fuyutsuki said angrily. "You can't keep her isolated like Rei! Rei does not know any better, but Mari's a completely independent person!"

"Rei is alone in her apartment for her own protection." Gendo said. "She may have made several new friends, but she still needs to be protected because she is not exactly human, Fuyutsuki. She's clone of Yui, and has some of Lilith's DNA in her too. She is far different than anybody else in this world."

"I'm aware of that, I was the one who made her!" Fuyutsuki shouted. "But why treat Mari the way you do? It's only going to make her tell Shinji the truth, which she promised she'd keep quiet in his best interests, but if don't let her move in there, she will expose everything about her to Shinji, which you know will utterly destroy him."

"Yes, Shinji is not strong enough to handle the truth, but Mari is too kind of a person to intentionally hurt someone that deeply." Gendo said. "And I understand Mari is feeling displaced, but I do not like her trying to be friends with my son, like she's trying to replace Yui with him, and replace Kyoko with Asuka. I do not like it." Gendo explained. "I never liked Mari, even though I know Yui cared for her deeply, I just can't accept someone else who loves Yui as much as I do."

"How do you know that…" Fuyutsuki said.

"Well, I knew you loved Yui, but I could see past that. However, when I read through Yui's diaries after she was absorbed, I saw all these things on Mari, and how much she wished she'd have expressed her love for Mari too, or at least reciprocated the feelings appropriately." Gendo explained. "I did not realize my wife was in love with someone else, and then I realized why Yui had been mad about finding out about my involvement with SEELE. I had joined the people who had killed the woman she loved."

"Yui actually…" Fuyutsuki muttered.

"Yes, Fuyutsuki, she did love Mari, and she even wrote about how it would be nice to be able to love two people, even if those two people would never get along." Gendo said. "Therefore, I do not want her near Shinji."

"Ikari, you can't actually be thinking about Shinji's welfare, if you were, he would never had gone to Atsugi, and you might have even had an actual relationship!" Fuyutsuki shouted.

"Fuyutsuki, without Yui, I would have been a horrific parent, even Rei did not turn out well, she is as poorly adjusted to life as I am, and perhaps that has something to do with the fact she has already died, Shinji and myself could have never had a good relationship without Yui. I decided to spare him the suffering I endured from my own parents by simply abandoning him." Gendo explained. "It was far better for him than causing him to hate me for being neglectful."

Fuyutsuki stared in shock. "You cannot actually believe…"

"I do believe it, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said.

"But, why torture Mari?" Fuyutsuki asked. "If you do this, she will think you trust her, and she'll hold up her end of the deal. If you don't, I know she can be extremely spiteful, and I would not want you to cross her."

"Do you still care about Mari as well?" Gendo asked.

"Yes… she is the last of the three students I cared for the most, her loss was just as devastating as Yui's or Kyoko's, and I want her to be happy." Fuyutsuki explained. "She was never truly happy before she died and came back, but now, she seems happy to be around people her own age, people she apparently cares about."

"So, if I were to do this, it would make her happy?" Gendo asked.

"Extremely I imagine, from what Katsuragi told me." Fuyutsuki said. "She may have given me some bureaucratic reason for why Mari asked, but in truth, Mari wouldn't have asked if it wouldn't make her happy."

"Then I will not approve the transfer." Gendo said.

"Why the hell not!" Fuyutsuki shouted.

"I already told you the reason…" Gendo started.

Fuyutsuki cut him off. "But if you do this, Yui will think you the bigger person for putting aside your own feelings and letting Mari be happy." Fuyutsuki said. "If you won't do it for Mari, and if you own listen to me, then just do it for Yui."

"Why dies it always come back to making Yui happy?" Gendo asked.

"Because you still love her." Fuyutsuki said. "And your entire plan is simply to free her from the EVA. That's your whole reason for all of this."

"You are correct, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said. "This is _all_ for Yui. I will approve Mari's transfer. Just reiterate to the terms of our arrangement."

"Understood, Commander." Fuyutsuki said. "I'll inform the Major, and then I will talk to Mari and tell her the good news."

–––

Asuka was having a great day. She had called Kaji to convince him to take her out shopping for something special. Kaji had picked her up in his bright red Ferrari, and they drove off the mall. When they arrived at Mitsukoshi, Asuka grabbed Kaji roughly by the wrist and dragged him, somewhat reluctantly into the store. Kaji was dragged behind her all the inside, and he did not even realize where they were going until they arrived, although he should have, it was of course the women's ware department. Kaji sighed and followed wherever Asuka dragged him.

"Oh, Kaji, I'm so glad you could take me shopping!" Asuka said exuberantly. "It's so nice of you to take time out to help little old me!"

"Well, I told you I don't mind taking you out places." Kaji said. "They just aren't dates like you used to refer to them as."

"I know… you're in love with another women…" Asuka said. "I also have a feeling I know who that other woman is too."

"Oh, do you really?" Kaji asked. "I knew you were bright, Asuka."

"It's Misato isn't it?" Asuka said somewhat sullenly. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Well… yes, Asuka, I am in love with Misato, but it's a little complicated." Kaji said. "Why don't I tell you about it at lunch? Just promise you won't tell anyone… I want to keep it quiet."

"Sure, Kaji." Asuka said. "I can keep a secret."

"Thanks Asuka I appreciate… hey!" Kaji exclaimed. "Why are you dragging me to the swimsuit section?!"

"To help me pick one out of course!" Asuka said. "I want to pick a nice sexy one for the school trip to Okinawa!"

"Asuka, are you sure sexy is the way to go?" Kaji said. "Some guys like a little mystery to the women they leer at, leaves more for their imaginations to behold." Kaji said.

"Yeah, well, I'm not that subtle, Kaji." Asuka said. "I want to impress them with my feminine wiles you know." Asuka smirked as she dove into the clothing rack. "I want them to see just how much of a woman I am!"

"Oh, Asuka…" Kaji muttered.

Asuka came out from the racks holding up a bikini. The top was red and white striped with a large zipper between the breasts, and the bottom was white with a red stripe along the waistband. Kaji's jaw dropped.

"Aren't you a little young to be wearing something like that Asuka?" Kaji asked, looking at the suit. "Wouldn't you rather wear something else?"

"Oh, come on Kaji." Asuka sighed. "This is what all the girls are wearing."

Kaji rolled his eyes. "If all the girls were going to jump off a cliff, would you follow them?" Kaji asked.

"Of course not, Kaji!" Asuka said. "I'm not stupid! But _this_ is fashion!"

"So is that all you wanted?" Kaji asked.

"It's all I need for Okinawa, Kaji!" Asuka said. "I don't really plan on wearing anything else to the beach!"

"The same swimsuit for the whole trip?" Kaji asked.

"Of course!" Asuka said. "I can't really top this can I?"

"I suppose not, Asuka." Kaji said. "That was a lot quicker than I imagined. So why don't we buy this and go down and get something to eat and you can tell me about this trip of yours."

"Sure!" Asuka said happily. "And you can tell me more about you know who."

After paying a lot for so little clothing, Kaji and Asuka made tier way to the food court, where Asuka ordered a large helping of stew beef and rice, while Kaji settled on a Caesar salad. Asuka had the travel schedule out for the trip to Okinawa, and was rattling on about it.

"So, we leave on November 1st from the airport for the flight to New Kadena, then we'll check into the hotel, and from there, we'll be done for the day. Then the next day we have some lessons or something dumb at the museum there about wildlife or something before Second Impact, then we're free until November 6th to do whatever we please, and the ewe leave and arrive back here on November 7th!" Asuka said quickly in one breath.

"You sound very excited, Asuka." Kaji said. "I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself."

"Of course I will, its Okinawa!" Asuka said happily. "It's gonna be awesome, we even get to go scuba diving if want to!"

"Wow, it's been so long since I've gone scuba diving…" Kaji thought, thinking back before Second Impact with Taichi and his parents, visiting Okinawa the year before it all came crashing down. "So very long…"

"Hey, Kaji… is everything ok?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, Asuka, just remembering the times before Second Impact." Kaji said. "School trips were always fun before then, but afterwards, the world was deemed too unstable to have kids go off on school trips like before. I'm glad they're letting you all go now though, it shows that times are improving to near where they were in 2000."

"Well, Kaji, I'll make sure to have enough fun for all the times you missed out on because of that!" Asuka said, smiling broadly. "It's not fair they took your trips away either, It's just stupid to deprive children of stuff because adults are being such… assholes!"

"Well, Asuka, a lot of things from back then were unfair…" Kaji said as he thought of his brother laying in a pool of his own blood, his lifeless eyes staring up at Kaji.

"So, Kaji, tell me a bit about Misato." Asuka said as their food arrived.

"Well, we dated in college." Kaji explained. "It was a wonderful relationship, and I really cared for her, but during our relationship, Misato admitted her love to me, and I never… reciprocated appropriately. We got into a pretty nasty fight, things were said by both of us that we didn't mean, but anger led us to say anyway… and I left… I ran away… and I left her all alone." Kaji sighed. "I've regretted it since then, I heard her plead for me to come back, but I couldn't. She had made something up to make me jealous… and I just couldn't believe her… and because I've regretted leaving her then, I see being near her again as a second chance to try and fix things between us, but she still hasn't forgiven me for not telling her that I…"

"Loved her." Asuka finished. "You did love her, didn't you? Don't you?"

"Yes, but for men, sometimes it's hard to say that, we show it in other ways, by doing the small things, or just listening and understanding." Kaji said. "It's the great sexual divide we all deal with, and it can be treacherous to navigate…"

"Well, can't you just tell her?" Asuka asked. "Wont that make up for it?"

"No, it's not as easy as that, Asuka." Kaji said. "I have to convince her that she is still in love with me, even though she says she isn't. I can't be with her again until she admits it to herself. So, I just have to be patient, and wait for her to come to the realization on her own time, that's the best I can hope for…"

"Kaji, I could say something…" Asuka started.

"Please don't, Asuka." Kaji said. "I don't want her to feel coerced. And she'll be really angry that you know, as she doesn't like admitting we dated for some reason."

"Well, that's just stupid on her part." Asuka said.

"Asuka, just promise me one thing." Kaji said.

"Anything for you, Kaji." Asuka replied.

"If you find a boy you like, don't hold back how you feel about them. Mixed signals can be really confusing to a guy. Just follow your heart to the right person, whoever it may be." Kaji said. "Don't make the same mistake I did and wait too long to say something."

"Why would you tell me that, Kaji?" Asuka said. "I can express myself just fine."

"I know you can, Asuka." Kaji said. "I just don't want you to end up like me and Misato did with whoever you fall in love with. You deserve better than that kind of sorrow, and so does she…"

"I promise, Kaji." Asuka said, quietly going back to her food.

"Thanks, Asuka." Kaji said, smiling slightly. "I know you'll find someone perfect too. Just remember, some people take time to catch a hint."

"I'll keep that in mind, Kaji." Asuka said.

They both finished up, and Kaji treated Asuka for lunch, saying it was only fair and they went back to his Ferrari. As thy pulled out of the parking lot, Asuka smiled.

"I can't wait till Saturday, I can't wait to get out of this city for a while, and just go and have fun." Asuka said happily. "No Angels, no EVAs, no sync tests, just plain old relaxation!"

"I know, Asuka…" Kaji said. 'I just don't have the heart to tell her she's not going on the trip.' Kaji thought as he drove Asuka home. 'Sorry, Misato, you'll have to break this news to her. Why you didn't already is totally beyond me… I hope you're still not drinking too much…'

* * *

October 31, 2015 – NERV HQ

Misato was standing in front of the pilots in the briefing room after they had arrived back from school. When she had left this morning, she noticed a stack of bags near the door for Asuka, and then remembered what she should have told the pilots a week ago. However, her feelings for Kaji and her muddled thoughts on dealing with the Angels had pushed what she deemed as insignificant out of her head, so she was breaking the bad news.

"What the fuck do you mean I can't go?!" Asuka shouted, pointing accusingly at Misato. "How the fuck is that fair?!"

"Life isn't fair, Asuka." Misato said as the other three pilots sat there quietly.

"Why the fuck can't _I_ go?" Asuka screamed.

"It's part of your job." Misato replied. "You're on call along with the rest of the pilots. This isn't directed at _you_ , Asuka, _none_ of you are going."

"So, I'm on permeant standby?!" Asuka demanded. "What fucking idiot decided that?!"

" _This_ fucking idiot, the Director of the Tactical Division." Misato said calmly. "Seeing as Mari's Unit–XP isn't here yet because someone misplaced some parts or something, and Unit–00 is still undergoing its refit or repairs or whatever after your battle with the last Angel pushed its schedule back almost a month, you four are all on call, even though we only have two fully operational EVAs available. Even if we had all four, id still keep you all here to deploy against any Angelic threat that comes at us."

Asuka turned to Shinji, who was sitting next her and glared at him. "Shinji, you're the only voice of reason she'll listen to, why don't you talk some sense into this woman!"

"Well, Asuka…" Shinji said. "I already kind of expected we wouldn't be able to go. Who would protect the city without us here?"

"No one, puppy." Mari said. "Jeez, princess, are you that dense? Did you really think that we'd be leaving to go on a trip while the city fended of itself from these crazy fucking Angels? You're either insane, or just plain stupid, I'm not sure which."

"Shut up four eyes, I didn't ask you!" Asuka shouted.

"Shinji is correct, Soryu." Rei said. "The Angel Intercept System does nothing more than distract an Angel before the Evangelions can intercept and destroy them. Without us pilots present, the EVAs will not be able to function, ergo, the city is defenseless without us."

"Thank you for the long winded explanation wundergirl!" Asuka shouted.

"Asuka, please calm down." Shinji said. "Misato's at least being fair. She could let Rei and Mari go as their EVAs aren't even read yet. But she didn't, she kept us all here to make sure no one got special treatment."

"But I wanted to go on a vacation!" Asuka bemoaned.

"Asuka, do you really think we don't all want to go on a vacation?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, if anyone deserves a vacation, it's the puppy here!" Mari said empathically. "He's gone into combat against five separate Angels, he should be let off the hook, but he's taking it like a trooper because he knows it's his job!"

"So what?!" Asuka said. "We should all be given a break from this, we all deserve it, combat or not! This job is stressful! We always just wait for the fucking Angels to attack us! Every good tactician knows that the best defense is a good offence! Why can't we search out one of these stupid fucking Angels and kill it before it even has a chance to attack us! Take the fight for them once in a while! It would be a nice change of pace, Misato!"

"If we could find the Angels before they attacked we would, but right now we can only find them if they're coming towards us. Plus, we have plenty of recreational facilities here at NERV, Asuka." Misato replied. "I've cleared out an entire facility for you four to use while your friends are in Okinawa." Misato's eyes narrowed. "However, Asuka, Shinji, and Mari, perhaps your time would be better spent catching up on your assignments rather than relaxing. I've been getting your grades sent to me, and you're all quite far behind."

"What?" Asuka said.

"Oh crap…" Shinji muttered.

"Whoops…" Mari smirked.

"Did you all really think I wouldn't notice?" Misato asked. "Well, I made sure all your test scores and grades were sent directly to me from the school, and I can honestly say I was shocked by what I saw. I'm very disappointed in you three. Somehow, even though Rei misses more school than the three of you, she has wonderful grades… something you three should be trying to strive to."

"I'll try harder, miso…" Mari muttered.

"Sorry…" Shinji said with his head down.

"Well, this is so silly, Misato?" Asuka said. "This school's grades are so dumb! That old fashioned numerical grading system you people use is stupid."

"When in Rome, Asuka." Misato said. "You could at least try to adjust to Japanese schools, Asuka. You're a smart girl, I know you can adapt."

"Well, it's still stupid!" Asuka shouted.

"Oh, shut up, princess and just deal with it!" Mari shouted.

"Yeah, Asuka, it could be worse." Shinji said.

"ARRRRRGH!" Asuka shouted. "This sucks!"

"Yeah, well, this will suck more for you, Asuka." Misato said. "You all have a sync test in 30 minutes, get suited up and go to the sync bay."

"See, Asuka." Shinji said as Misato left. " _This_ is worse."

"Shut up, baka!" Asuka said as they filed out.

Misato saw them leave the briefing room and caught Mari by the arm. "Mari, a word?"

"Sure, miso, what's up?" Mari asked.

"So, your request came though." Misato said. "You're cleared to move in today. Do you have yours stuff, I don't know, packed?"

"Yeah, I never really unpacked when I got here, I've been living out of boxes." Mari said. "I can have my stuff moved over there tonight."

"No need, I'll send Section 2 to move your things, and you can double check the apartment tomorrow for anything we missed." Misato said. "Here's a key to my apartment, just go there straight after the sync test. Asuka and Shinji have a checkup with Ritsuko, so you'll be able to move in without interruption."

"You didn't tell her did you, miso?" Mari asked.

"No, I just go the approval today, and I haven't had time to tell her." Misato replied. "But seeing as she's already pissed about the school trip, she won't get that much angrier at this news, so it's the perfect day to move in."

"Sure, miso, that's a logical argument…" Mari said sarcastically. "Because Asuka's moving in as a surprise was such a success…"

"I know, wasn't it?" Misato said. "They got along great!"

'Oh, man, it'll be so much fun to mess with miso when I move in…' Mari thought.

–––

Asuka and Shinji were walking home after their physicals. Asuka's physical was first, and she was nice enough to wait for his to be finished. As he came out of the room, he had been surprised to see her waiting there. On their walk back, Shinji decided to ask Asuka something to break up her complaints about not going on the Okinawa trip.

"Stupid Misato, telling us we can't go, I hate her!" Asuka shouted again as they kept walking towards the apartment. "Just because she's stuck working doesn't mean we all have to suffer like her!"

"I know, Asuka…" Shinji said. "It sucks, but we have to do it, we're all that stands between the Angels and the city…"

"Yeah, and that's super stressful!" Asuka said. "I could get wrinkles from all this stress! I'd look hideous!

"I highly doubt that…" Shinji muttered.

"What was that?!" Asuka asked angrily.

"I just wanted to… uh… ask you something." Shinji said.

"What?" Asuka asked.

"Why did you… wait for me?" Shinji asked.

"Why not?" Asuka said. "We're going to the same place, and I didn't feel like sitting in the apartment all alone. It's too quiet being in there alone."

"But Pen–Pen is there." Shinji said stupidly.

"Oh, I meant…" Asuka muttered. "Never mind baka…"

"Oh, crap…" Shinji muttered. "I'm sorry, Asuka…"

"It's ok, Shinji." Asuka said. 'Does he really not think of me that way, does he not want to be alone with me? Why do I want to be alone with him though… I like being alone, I've always been alone…' Asuka thought. 'Ever since the cemetery, I can't stop thinking about him… it's almost like I care about him… and I haven't ever cared about anyone besides my momma…'

'I wonder why Asuka got quiet all of a sudden?' Shinji thought. 'She does this a lot lately, she gets mad and then she quiets down… it's almost like she's thinking about something… but what? And why does she want to always spend time with me. I mean I like spending time with her, but she still acts so weird around me, sometimes I thinks she likes me, and others, I think she despises me…'

As the two approached the apartment, the elevator had a sign listing it as out of order, so, after their long day, they had to climb 12 flights of stairs to get to the apartment. This aggravated Asuka even more so than not being able to go on the trip, as she now had to walk to the apartment instead of the easy ride in the elevator. When they got to the door, they both noticed it was unlocked. They were confused, as they saw Misato was still at NERV when they left, so she can't have gotten in.

"Asuka, we should call the police, right?" Shinji asked. "Or maybe Section 2."

"Or we go in there and kick this person's ass ourselves." Asuka said. "This dumbass picked the wrong apartment…"

Shinji shook his head and silently followed Asuka inside. As they rounded the corner, they noticed a stack of boxes outside Asuka's room, and heard a lot of noise from her room.

"The fucking pervert of course goes into the innocent girl's room." Asuka muttered angrily.

Shinji chuckled, and followed Asuka to her room. Asuka flung open the door open to reveal… Mari.

"WHAT… THE… FUCK!" Asuka screamed. "WHY ARE YOU IN MY ROOM FOUR EYES?! WHY DO YOU HAVE BOXES?!"

"Heya, princess, why s serious?" Mari purred. "Well, you keep saying you're so smart, I'm moving in."

"WHAT?!" Asuka roared. "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!"

"Well, I asked miso a few days ago, and she got the permission today, so she said to just move in…" Mari explained. "I was under the impression she had told you guys, or would tell you before she got home."

"Well, she fucking didn't!" Asuka screamed. "She drinks and forgets things all the time! Which is probably why the bitch didn't tell me last week that I couldn't go on the fucking trip!"

"Yes, yes… we heard all about that when we were in the briefing room…" Mari muttered.

"Yeah, well, just because your EVA isn't here and you've been slacking in the combat department, simply means you don't get to complain about not getting a vacation!"

"Oh, yeah, because doing sync tests isn't tiring…" Mari said. "Jeez, you're so damn self–centered, princess. We're all tired, and the puppy and blueberry have dealt with far worse than you have. You're pride's only been wounded. Apparently, the blueberry's EVA almost killed her in its first activation, and then her stunt with protecting the puppy… you barely need a vacation, you've been sitting on your ass in Germany for so long, you don't need a vacation any more than I do."

"Shut up four eyes, I didn't ask for your sanctimonious opinion!" Asuka shouted.

"Yeah, well you're stuck with it from now on, seeing as I'm moving in." Mari said.

"Yeah, well, why did you move in here anyway?!" Asuka shouted. "Why the fuck did you have to move into my room?!"

"Well, miso said I couldn't move in with the puppy, so this room was the only option!" Mari said happily. "So, how does it feel to be surprised by someone moving in?"

"It sucks!" Asuka shouted. "I can't go on the trip, and I can't be alone anywhere, and now the last place I have has been spoiled by YOU!"

"Yeah, well, your attitude tends to spoil things, princess." Mari said angrily. "It's like sour milk, it just smells awful, looks like shit, and tastes even worse."

"Yeah, well… FUCK YOU"! Asuka shouted. "I FUCKING HATE YOU!"

Mari heard Asuka's words, and her face fell and lip started to quiver, Shinji noticed this as Asuka stormed out of her room.

"Asuka, please, calm down." Shinji said as Asuka stormed out of the room. "Asuka!" Shinji turned to Mari. "I'm really sorry, Mari… she's… just…"

"I know, Shinji…" Mari said. "She's just not a nice person, is she?"

"She's not that bad…" Shinji said. "She's just angry about other stuff, Mari. She was really looking forward to that trip you know."

"Yeah… well… it would be nice to have a vacation though, you can't fault her for that." Shinji said.

"Well, I guess so, Shinji." Mari said. "Any way you can kind of calm her down?"

"I can try, but you'll have to be a bit nicer to her, especially if you're going to share a room." Shinji said. "I may not know her too well, but I do know she doesn't like to share."

"Yeah, no shit…" Mari replied. "I'll just unpack here, and maybe you can help me, I don't know, separate the room up so she can her own… space I guess…"

"Yeah, ill go talk to her…" Shinji said.

"Hey, Shinji…" Mari said. "You're a nice guy."

Shinji smiled. "Thanks, Mari."

Shinji looked around for Asuka. Her shoes were still in the apartment, and she wasn't in the kitchen, living room, or bathroom. Shinji knew she wasn't in her room, so he went out onto the veranda, and there she was, leaning on the railing, and she looked pissed.

"Asuka…" Shinji said.

"What the hell do you want?" Asuka said angrily.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok." Shinji said. "You seemed pretty angry, and I don't like seeing my friends upset…"

"Shut up, baka!" Asuka shouted. "You obviously knew she was moving in!"

"No, I'm just… just as surprised as you are!" Shinji said. "If I knew, I would have told you! I know how… uh… surprising it can be!"

"Yeah, just like when I came in and spoiled your day." Asuka said angrily. "Just leave me alone, Shinji."

"No, Asuka." Shinji said. "I'm not going to leave you alone. You can't just hide out here. It's supposed to rain tonight, you'll get sick."

"Like you care…" Shinji said. "Just go away."

"Asuka, just come inside." Shinji said. "Mari said she'd help rearrange the room so you can have your own space. I'll even help, Asuka."

"We're not moving anything, and I don't want her there!" Asuka shouted. "I want my own room!"

"Well, we can't all have what we want, can we!" Shinji said.

"Well, why can't she live somewhere else?!" Asuka shouted.

"I don't know, Asuka." Shinji said. "But she must have wanted to move in here."

"Yeah, to be closer to you…" Asuka said.

"Asuka, she wouldn't want to share a room with you if she didn't like you." Shinji said. "And she wouldn't have given you a cute nickname if she didn't think of you as a friend."

"Yeah, I doubt she thinks of me that way, the way she teases me all the time." Asuka said snarkily. "And I certainly don't like her…"

"Asuka, don't say things like that!" Shinji said admonishingly. "Look, if you want to be mad at someone, be mad at Misato, Mari said she thought Misato told us, and she clearly didn't, so it's her fault you're mad! She won't let you go on the trip, and now you're taking out all your frustration on Mari!"

"Yeah, well, I hate Misato too!" "And I hate you too!"

"Well, fine, be that way!" Shinji said turning back inside. "I'm done with this, sleep out here for all I care!"

"Wait, you'd actually leave me out here?!" Asuka shouted.

"It's better than butting my head against the wall arguing with you." Shinji said.

"Typical male, give up when things get tough." Asuka said.

"No, it's more like give up when things are impossible to change." Shinji said walking away again.

"Shinji!" Asuka shouted. "Wait!"

"What?!" Shinji said.

"Don't… go." Asuka muttered.

"Give me a reason." Shinji said.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you." Asuka said. "I'm… I'm…"

Shinji sighed. "You don't have say it Asuka. I accept your apology." Shinji smiled. "So, will you just come inside, and act… less angry? For me as your friend?"

"Yeah, I'll try…" Asuka said.

"Good, now let's go inside and fix up your room." Shinji said.

"Whatever, just don't tell me it could be worse." Asuka said.

"Tadaima!" Misato shouted. "Where is everyone, I have some news!"

"See, Asuka… it could have been worse." Shinji quipped. "Misato could have been home while you were shouting, and then made things worse."

"Shut up, baka!" Asuka said. "Now, I'm going to yell at Misato for being a complete and utter dumbass and not telling us about this!"

Misato rounded the corner to see Asuka storming towards her. She turned around quickly to see Mari coming the other way.

"Miso soup!" Mari shouted.

Misato you dumbass!" Asuka screamed.

"Oh shit…" Misato mumbled.

"What the fuck were you thinking forgetting to tell me four eyes was moving in!" Asuka shouted.

"Yeah, I just got yelled at because of you, miso!" Mari shouted. "Why didn't you tell her? I don't like being yelled at because of an oversight!"

"I… uh…" Misato mumbled. "Oh boy…"

"Well, do you have an answer, miso?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, any explanations at all?" Asuka demanded.

"I… uh… forgot…" Misato muttered. "Sorry…"

"YOU FORGOT!?" Asuka and Mari shouted in unison.

"What are you, stupid or something?" Asuka yelled.

"You make the puppy the responsible adult in this place, you know that right?" Mari pointed out.

"I do not!" Misato said defensively. "Shinji is not the adult."

"Sure, he cooks, cleans, and wakes us up…" Asuka quipped. "And he's not the adult… unbelievable."

"Jeez, he even wakes you up, miso?" Mari asked. "Don't you have an alarm clock or something?"

"I work a lot! I'm tired all the time!" Misato said.

"More like drink a lot…" Shinji muttered.

"What was that?!" Misato shouted.

"I think he said you DRINK!" Asuka said

Instead of defending herself further, Misato stormed off to her room and slammed her door.

"Yeah, very adult, miso!" Mari called after her. "Nice call, puppy."

"So, can we go arrange your room, guys?" Shinji asked. "I'd like to get to bed so I have enough time tomorrow to work on my class work."

"Sure, puppy!" Mari said happily.

"Yeah, I don't see why not." Asuka said.

* * *

November 1, 2015 – NERV Recreational Facility

The class had left that morning for Okinawa, leaving Asuka in a sour mood. Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke had told them all to be careful, and hoped they didn't have to deal with any Angels. So, as a group, the three roommates went to the facility and met Rei on the way. Asuka and Mari hadn't brought anything with them to work on their school work, so when they arrived, the girls went to the changing room, and Shinji went next to the pool to start working.

Rei and Mari came out at the same time. Rei was wearing a nice one piece in bright blue and dived right into the pool, while Mari came out in a skimpy two piece that emphasized her assets quite nicely, and was in her favorite color, pink, and she had a towel wrapped around her shoulders to cover herself a bit.

"Hey, puppy, working hard, or hardly working?" Mari asked.

"Oh, just finishing my trigonometry work, nothing special." Shinji replied, not looking up.

"Good puppy!" Mari said. "So, no swimming then, I guess, right?"

"Yeah, can't swim, too afraid to learn." Shinji said.

"Well, if you change your mind, I'll still teach you." Mari said.

"I know, but I don't want to keep disappointing Misato with my grades." Shinji said. "What about your work? Didn't you bring it with you?"

"No, I did it all last night after we rearranged the room." Mari smiled. "I'm not dumb you know, just not motivated."

"I know that, Mari." Shinji said.

"Alright, well, I'll be over here in the water when you're done." Mari said. "Maybe you could just stick your feet in the water and just sit on the side and we can chat."

"Maybe, Mari." Shinji said.

"Good!" Mari said as she took a running leap into the pool, making a big splash when she hit the water.

Shinji finished his trigonometry work and then began the subject he hated, physics. Asuka then came out as Mari started to mildly harass Rei by swimming in sync with her as she did her laps. Asuka looked over at the pool, then decided to go and bother Shinji first.

"What have you got there, Shinji?" Asuka asked.

"Oh, just basic physics." Shinji said.

"Oh, you're such an obedient student, Shinji." Asuka said sarcastically.

"Well, I have to study it anyway." Shinji said as he looked up. "Wha…" Shinji saw Asuka dressed in her red and white bathing suit standing proudly in front of him.

"Well, you look impressed." Asuka said.

"I…" Shinji muttered.

"I figured if I'm not going to Okinawa, I may as well do some diving here." Asuka said.

"What?" Shinji asked, dumbfounded as Asuka leaned towards his computer, knowingly exposing her breasts to him in the process.

"I said, I'm going diving, baka." Asuka said as she typed on Shinji's computer. "All set, Shinji." Asuka said. "How did you have so much trouble with such a basic physics problem? It so easy when you know how…"

Shinji blushed at the sight he had in front of him. "Asuka… how do you… how did you do that problem so quickly, and not get good grades on your tests?"

"Oh, it's not that I don't know, it's that I have a lot of trouble figuring out the questions on the test." Asuka said with a slight frown. "I never finished learning all the kanji."

"You can't read the questions in Japanese?" Shinji asked.

"That's right…" Asuka said. "I can speak fluent Japanese, but I can't read the kanji…" Asuka pointed at Shinji's laptop. "So, what's this one say?"

"Oh, it's a question about thermal expansion." Shinji said.

"Thermal expansion? Oh, that's an easy one, it's like child's play…" Asuka said, smirking. "To put it in terms you understand, most things expand when they get hot and contract when they get cold."

Mari pulled herself out of the water while Asuka was giving Shinji his lesson, and listened in.

"Well, that seems simple enough." Shinji said.

"Look…" Asuka put her hand on her breasts. "If I were to warm up my breasts with my hands, do you think they'd grow bigger, or get smaller."

"I don't know!" Shinji said, as he turned away from Asuka. "I don't think like that all the time!"

Asuka looked disappointed. "Such a boring little boy…"

"Hey, princess, you'll need more than some heat to make those hush puppies of your grow _bigger_!" Mari called over as Asuka walked away. "Things like that are just a natural process, unless you get implants anyway!"

"Shut up four eyes!" Asuka shouted. "My breasts are perfectly fine!"

"Is that why you were massaging them in front of the puppy?" Mari asked. "Did you hear massaging them gently can make them bigger?"

"Fuck you, four eyes!" Asuka shouted.

"Maybe later!" Mari called innocently, causing Asuka to storm off to the supply closet in a huff.

While Asuka was in the closet, Asuka was both angry and sad. "Stupid Shinji…" Asuka muttered. "He never even looks at me the way I want him too… I bought this so he'd notice me that way… the way boys are supposed to look at girls… what a jerk…"

When Asuka came back with her scuba gear and leaned over at the pool's far side, Shinji kept glancing at her and blushed. 'Why does she flirt so much, when she calls me stupid and baka the other half of the time… it's so… confusing…' Shinji thought.

Shinji the heard the water break and looked to see Rei getting out of the pool and drying off. She smiled at him and waived.

Asuka then shouted to Shinji to get his attention. "Hey, Shinji, lookie, lookie! Back roll in three!"

"Man, this day is going to be distracting…" Shinji muttered.

–––

In Central Dogma, it was business as usual. There wasn't much to do outside of Angel battles, besides doing some basic research work, and monitoring the repairs to AI and the city itself.

"Aoba, what's the status on the AIS?" Misato asked.

Aoba quit his air guitar and checked his console. "Repairs are a week ahead of schedule. AIS is currently 78% repaired, and 45% armed. Given another three weeks or so, the system can be somewhere in 80% range, with all available weapons loaded. Mobile defense system have been replaced however, and the VTOL squadrons are ready to go in case of emergency."

"Good, thanks, Aoba." Misato said. "Hyuga, what about the EVAs? Any status? I'd ask Maya, but she's got that data from Mt. Asama to deal with."

"No problem, Major." Hyuga replied as he put his manga down. "Unit–01 and Unit–02 are combat ready. Unit–00 will be ready by the end of the week, and we have the Core and cybernetic limbs for Unit–XP, as well as the Entry Plug, and its very unique weapon, some kind of ten barreled, 20,000 round Gatling gun… but its main biological body has yet to arrive…"

"Well, at least we have most of it." Misato quipped. "Maybe when the next Angel attacks, we'll just throw the limbs from Unit–XP at it… Thanks Hyuga."

"Alright, Major." Hyuga said as he went back to his manga.

"Uh, Dr. Akagi, could you come here for a minute?" Maya asked.

"Sure, Maya, what is it?" Ritsuko asked.

"Well, this sensor data from Mt. Asama is… concerning… it says there's a large Pattern Orange, but not at the levels we're used to…" Maya said. "Almost like it may be a baby Angel…"

"You're not kidding, Maya, good catch." Ritsuko said. "Misato!"

"Yeah!" Misato said wandering over and seeing the screen. "Oh… shit…"

"Yeah, you should get up to that research station, like now…" Ritsuko said.

"No, kidding." Misato said. "Maya, Hyuga, let's move! Aoba, you have tactical command here until I return!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Aoba replied as the three officers left the room.  
–––

Shinji was finishing his work and closed his laptop and got ready to leave when Mari beckoned him over. Shinji left his bag on the table and walked over.

"Hey, Shinji, you leaving?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, I want to get work done without so many… distractions."

"So, three distractions in all then?" Mari teased. "Do you find our bodies so distracting and alluring, you can't work around us?"

"No, I just…" Shinji muttered.

"Oh, stop, its ok…" Mari said. "I've seen the porn you watch, I know what turns you on…"

"Mari!" Shinji shouted.

Mari giggled. "Relax, I said I wouldn't say anything… stud."

Asuka wandered over at the commotion and butted in. "Shinji will you stop yelling, you're voice echoes in here!" Asuka said.

"Sorry." Shinji said. "I'm just leaving though, so it won't happen again."

"You're not even going to swim?" Asuka asked.

"No, I don't like swimming." Shinji said.

"You're so boring…" Asuka said. "You should go for a dip!"

Asuka playfully pushed Shinji into the water, which was deeper than he was tall, and he began struggling, and Asuka looked horrified, and was frozen in fear.

"Shinji!" Mari screamed as she dove back in and came up along his side, with Rei popping up next to him and helping out of the shallow end of the pool. When Shinji got out of the water, he took his things and stormed off without a word, and Mari turned on Asuka.

"What the fuck, Asuka!" Mari shouted. "Why did you do that?!"

"I was only joking… I didn't think it would be an issue." Asuka said.

"He doesn't know how to swim!" Mari shouted. "And you call him the idiot!"

"He can be!" Asuka said. "And I tell it how it is!"

"Well, you can be a bitch at times, but I bet you don't like to hear that!" Mari retorted.

"I am not!" Asuka said. "And what idiot doesn't know how to swim!"

"One who is afraid of the water because they nearly drowned when they were a child!" Mari shouted. "If you ever bothered to talk to Shinji and not bitch all the time, you might learn something about him!"

"Well, he should act more like a boy should!" Asuka shouted.

"Asuka that is so narrow minded of you!" Mari shouted. "He's plenty man enough! Or are you talking about him showing a fucking emotion?!"

"He's too emotional at times!" Asuka shouted. "Boys are supposed to be stoic and silent!"

"Well, men are allowed to express whatever feeling they want!" Mari said. "It shouldn't just be focused around anger and sex, like everyone seems to think!"

"Well, he should hold them in like everyone else does!" Asuka screamed.

"You mean like you do?" Mari shouted. "Because you're so _fucking_ perfect!"

"I'm more perfect than you!" Asuka shouted.

"Whatever, princess…" Mari said. "You just don't get it do you? Shinji is more than enough of a man and should be treated better by you!"

"I treat him fine!" Asuka shouted.

"Yeah, he cleans your clothes, wakes you up, and cooks for you, and you yell and bitch and moan at him all the time." Mari quipped. "And you call that fine?"

"He's more than happy to do it!" Asuka shouted.

"Well, maybe you should help him out!" Mari shouted.

"Why, I don't really want to, and he already does it because he likes it!" Asuka shouted.

"So, he does the womanly duties of the house, and yet you say he isn't manly enough!" Mari shouted. "You fucking hypocrite!"

"I am not!" Asuka said. "He's just… domesticated!"

"Well, he certainly more man that you'll ever get!" Mari screamed. "He was man enough to kill two Angels alone while Rei was injured, killed another one with her help, and then when your lazy ass finally got here, he helped you kill the next fucking two Angels we've come across. Way to go, Asuka, he does all the work, and you try to take all the credit! I think he's plenty manly enough as he keeps facing these things even though he's almost died a whole bunch! You're just some stupid loser who can't kill an Angel on your own!"

"Wha…" Asuka mumbled, shocked into silence.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go see if my best friend is ok." Mari said angrily.

As Mari stormed out and Asuka stood there in a stunned rage and stormed out as well, Rei looked on and had nothing to say.

'Why is what Mari did seem… familiar to me… like I've done something similar for her in the past… but I couldn't have… Mari is more than capable of defending herself…' Rei thought as she toweled herself again. 'I feel the same way for Mari as I do Shinji… its odd… I feel a connection to her as well… another connection I cannot explain… how intriguing… I just wish I knew where these feelings were coming from…'

–––

Hyuga, Maya, and Misato were at the Mt. Asama research station and were using the research team's volcanic drone to look into the Pattern Orange that had been detected.

"Depth is 650m, and we're getting a reading, ma'am." Hyuga reported.

"It's not very strong…" Maya said.

"Keep going." Misato said.

"Ma'am, the safe depth is only 1,000m, we can't go much further than that." Maya said.

"Push it as far as it will go." Misato said.

"Depth is now 975m, still no clear reading." Maya said.

"Keep going…" Misato ordered.

"Depth is now 1,120m, probe hull is buckling from pressure."

"Depth is 1,250 m, I'm getting a reading!" Hyuga said.

"Probe hull pressure critical!" Maya reported. "It's imploding!"

"Probe signal lost, Major." Hyuga said.

"Did you get it through?" Misato asked.

"Yeah…" Hyuga pulled up an image of an embryonic skeleton in what looked like a translucent egg. "We had 6.8 seconds of clear data, and it's enough to confirm the Pattern Blue… it's an Angel."

"Good job you two." Misato said as she stood up and addressed the room. "This entire research facility is now under NERV jurisdiction!" Misato announced. "There will be no unauthorized phone calls to anyone and all access to the outside world is prohibited until further notice. All records pertaining to these events and any data therein are now classified top secret. You will all be required to sign on–disclosure agreements about these events. Please cooperate with us, and we will return control of your facility to you forthwith."

Misato then walked away to make a phone call.

Brrring… brrring… brrring…

" _Central Dogma._ " Aoba said over the line.

"Aoba, I need an A–17 from Commander Ikari, top priority!" Misato said.

" _Careful what you're saying, Major, this isn't a secure line._ " Aoba replied.

"I know that, switch me to a scrambled line immediately." Misato ordered. "And then transfer me directly to the Commander."

" _Yes, ma'am._ " Aoba replied. " _What should I tell him?_ "

"That the enemy is in the nest." Misato said happily.

–––

Mari got back to the dark apartment, and didn't see any lights on. She was carrying her bag with her clothes, and still wearing her bathing suit.

"Shinji!" Mari shouted. "Shinji, where are you?!"

She didn't get a response, so she went inside and looked around, and heard something coming from Shinji's room. "Shinji?"

She opened his door, to see the still soaking wet boy laying on his bed, crying. Mari walked over t him and laid down next to him and held him tightly.

"Shinji, why are you crying?" Mari asked.

"Why does Asuka hate, me?" Shinji asked. "Why can't she just be friendly like you and Rei and everyone else? Why can't she just act normal?"

"Shinji, don't worry about it." Mari said. "You shouldn't let yourself cry over someone like that. She doesn't deserve your friendship."

"But… she does!" Shinji said. "You didn't see her the night before we fought the Seventh Angel. She was so vulnerable! She just wanted to be close to me, she was so nice then… but she's only ever like that when we're alone…"

"So, she's not really as mean as she pretends to be." Mari said. "Is that why you're so upset, because she's so nice to you when you're both alone, but in front of people, she treats you like crap?"

"Yeah… I think she's really kind, she just has this front up for her own… reasons…" Shinji said. "She's no different than me… she's alone too… and she only wants a few friends…"

"How do you know?" Mari asked.

"Well, she talked in her sleep that night… and I heard… she just wanted her mother…" Shinji said. "She wanted to know why she had to die…"

"Oh, that's why you said…" Mari said.

"Yeah, she's just like me, she's lost someone too…" Shinji explained. "She knows about my mother too, but she doesn't know I know about hers… she followed me to the cemetery on the anniversary of her death. She held me while I cried… that's why I don't understand why she acts the way she does around me…"

Mari hugged Shinji tightly. "Shinji, you're so kind, this is why I like you so much."

"Thanks, Mari…" Shinji said. "At least someone admits how they feel about me openly…"

"Well, it's stupid to hide how you feel, puppy, she'll figure that out eventually." Mari said. "You know, you're still wet, Shinji… why didn't you change?"

"I was too upset to care…" Shinji muttered.

"Well, why don't we just cuddle, so I can warm you up, then you can go shower and change, ok?" Mari asked.

Shinji smiled. "Yeah, that'll be nice."

"Hey, Shinji?" Mari said as they snuggled.

"Yeah?" Shinji said.

"Asuka will come around eventually." Mari said. "She's just got to work through whatever is blocking her from expressing herself properly."

"I know…" Shinji muttered.

Unbeknownst to the both of them, Asuka had gotten home moments after Mari, and listened in on their conversation and then went to the bathroom quietly to shower, and to do something she had promised herself she'd never do again… cry.

'Shinji knows about my mother…' Asuka thought as the shower ran to hide her crying. 'He still wants to be my friend, even though I treat him poorly… I need to try and act nicer to him… but why do I need _his_ approval? I've never wanted that from anyone but Kaji… and Shinji's just a _boy_ …' Asuka wiped some of her tears from her face. 'And why am I crying? Why does _his_ sadness make _me_ feel so empty inside?'

* * *

November 2, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Shinji woke up the next morning to smell something from the kitchen. Shinji wandered out to see Asuka was cooking.

"Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah?" Asuka replied.

"What are you doing?" Shinji asked.

"Making breakfast, baka." Asuka said. "Something German, to change up all this monotony you have."

"Why?" Shinji said, still dumbfounded.

"To say that I'm… that I'm…" Asuka struggled with the word. "That I'm sorry… I shouldn't have shoved you into the water… Mari… uh… told me why you don't swim… I didn't know…"

"You actually said it…" Shinji muttered.

"I heard that." Asuka said. "And yes, I don't say it often unless I really fucked up."

"It's ok, Asuka, you didn't know I couldn't swim…" Shinji said.

"Well, I should have!" Asuka said. "We're friends, and I had to hear that from four eyes of all people! She ripped me a new one because of how I treated you, and she was right…"

"Asuka… I accept your apology." Shinji said as he walked behind her and hugged her. "And thank you for cooking… that was thank you enough."

Asuka blushed. "Baka, I don't remember giving you permission to hug me like this."

"Don't ruin the moment, Asuka." Shinji said.

"Fine…" Asuka said reaching behind her and patting Shinji in the head. "Thanks, Shinji, for always being so nice to me."

"Awww!" Mari said from the door way. "Puppy love!"

"Mari, don't…" Shinji said.

"Sorry puppy, I wouldn't want to ruin the moment…" Mari said sarcastically.

"How long have you been standing there?" Asuka asked.

"From when you uttered the s–word" Mari said. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone how nice you are, princess, I know how tough it is to cultivate an image for yourself."

"Thanks…" Asuka said.

Brrring… brrring… brrring…

Mari went and picked up the phone.

"Yo!" Mari said. "What?! Yeah, we'll be there in 20." Mari hung up the phone. "Come on kids, they found an Angel."

"Wait… found?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, apparently it's a big deal." Mari said. "Come on, shut off the food, and let's go!"

"I'm gonna kill that fucking Angel…" Asuka muttered.

"Of course we are, Asuka, it's our job." Shinji said.

"Not that, baka." Asuka said. "The fucker ruined my breakfast!"

–––

The four pilots were standing in front of a large display. There was an image of the embryonic Angel displayed as a reference for the briefing Dr. Akagi and Sub–Commander Fuyutsuki were giving.

"So, that's what a bay Angel looks like?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, Shinji, that's its larval state." Ritsuko replied. "We're in a unique situation, finding the Angel before it finds us. So, we will capture and study it if possible."

"What if it hatches or something?" Mari asked.

"Then it is to be killed with all due haste, Pilot Makinami." Fuyutsuki said.

"So, who's doing what?" Asuka asked.

"Well, With Unit–02 being the only one fully operational and compatible with the Type–D Equipment, it will be you, Asuka." Ritsuko said. "Unit–02 was outfitted last night for the lava, and you're Type–D plugsuit is ready for use. Just to warn you, it's not as fashionable as your standard one, but it's meant to insulate you from the extreme environment. A Prog Knife will be strapped to your leg, and you will be using an electromagnetic cage to contain the Angel."

"Whatever, I just want to kill that Angel." Asuka said.

"What about the other pilots, Dr. Akagi?" Rei asked.

"Well, Shinji and Unit–01will be present at Mt. Asama as a backup to Unit–02, while Rei and Unit–00 will be on standby here. It's being rushed to readiness so we can defend the city while you're away."

"Can I go with Shinji and Asuka?" Mari asked.

"I don't see why not, you should see the operation up close, Makinami." Fuyutsuki said. "What do you think, Dr. Akagi, is that appropriate?"

"Yes, she can see everything up close before her EVA gets here." Dr. Akagi said. "So, Mari, do you want to hitch a ride with one of the pilots?"

"Yeah, I'll go with Shinji." Mari said. "So, I guess we'll all need our plugsuits."

"Yes, all of you, go change, you leave in 30 minutes." Ritsuko said.

–––

Asuka had finished putting on her insulated plugsuit. After activating the LS Pack and sucking the air out, an inner membrane filled between an inner suit and the outer suit with what seemed to be LCL.

"This plugsuit makes me look fat!" Asuka bemoaned. "I look like Violet Beauregarde!"

"Princess, it could be worse…" Mari said kindly.

"Asuka, you look fine." Shinji said. "It doesn't matter what your plugsuit looks like as long as it keeps you safe in there. None of us want you to die from being in a volcano."

"Thanks, Shinji…" Asuka said. "So where is my… Unit–02!" Asuka exclaimed. "Oh my, it's awful, it's covered in that awful armor, and it's not even red!"

Asuka was refereeing to the fact that Unit–02 had been outfitted in what looked like rigid white old time scuba gear from the 1950s, with the only transparent section being where Unit–02 somewhat sad looking face could be seen.

"Asuka, it's only to keep you and Unit–02 safe." Shinji said.

"Yeah, I don't want my roomie getting par boiled in LCL." Mari said.

"Soryu… it would be quite unfortunate if you were to perish from not using safety equipment." Rei said.

"Really?" Asuka said.

"Yeah, we don't want you to die, and I'll be right there if you need any assistance." Shinji said. "But I know I just have to watch this time, because you catch or kill that Angel without any help."

"Thanks, Shinji." Asuka said.

"Alright you three, get ready to move out." Ritsuko said.

–––

Unit–02 was attached to a crane apparatus hanging over the lava. The crane had been hastily erected, and was being used to lower the immobile Unit–02 into the molten lava below. Unit–01 was off to the side and standing ready, not that it could give much assistance unless the Angel leapt out of the lava. Asuka was anxious and waiting in her Entry Plug for the mission to start.

"Hey, Shinji?" Asuka asked.

" _Yeah, Asuka?_ " Shinji replied.

"You have my back, right?" Asuka asked worriedly. "Even after yesterday?"

" _Of course, Asuka._ " Shinji said. " _We're friends, and I always protect my friends, and I already told you I forgive you Asuka, you apologized and everything._ "

"Thanks, Shinji." Asuka replied.

–––

Mari was in the control room, after drying off her plugsuit to watch everything happen in real time. She was sitting on a stool looking at Hyuga and Maya tapping away on the console in front of them, and at Misato, who looked like she was constipated.

"Hey, miso, when is this shit starting?" Mari asked.

"Soon, we just need to double check everything so that we can get this thing." Misato said. "Hyuga, Maya, make final checks and prepare for the operation."

–––

Shinji was in his Entry Plug and was looking around while he was waiting. He looked up and saw several large planes flying high above them in circles.

"Hey, why are the jets circling around? Are they here to help us?" Shinji asked. "Or are they just here to wish us luck?"

" _No, they're here to clean up the mess…._ " Ritsuko replied over the comm. " _If we fail, Archangel Squadron has permission to drop its load of N2 Depth Charges to kill the Angel, and us along with it._ "

" _Bullshit!_ " Asuka shouted. " _You're saying they're going to nuke us too?!_ "

" _Yes, Asuka, that's the plan._ " Ritsuko replied. " _We are ultimately expendable._ "

" _The hell we are!_ " Mari shouted.

"What kind of person orders that?" Shinji asked.

" _Commander Ikari of course._ "

"Fucking typical…" Shinji said. "Can't even trust us to do this after we've killed all those _other_ Angels…"

" _Well, I guess he_ is _an ass._ " Asuka replied. " _And all those other Angels didn't count apparently!_ "

" _Enough you two, we're beginning the operation._ " Misato reported. " _The laser bore has been fired, and the lava disrupted. Asuka, we're sending you in, good luck._ "

Asuka sat in her Entry Plug as her great white Evangelion was dropped into the lava below.

"Hey Shinji, look at this!" Asuka said as she moved her control yokes. "A prefect scissor dive!"

Unit–02 responded to Asuka's inputs and did execute a perfect scissor dive into the lava.

Shinji chuckled. " _Well, Asuka, if it was the Olympics, I'd give it a 10._ "

"Thanks, baka…" Asuka said. "Now shush… I'm hunting Angels."

The visibility was poor, Asuka could barely see the cage apparatus she was carrying a few feet in front of her. Also, with the lava, Asuka was starting to get hot.

"Ok, Misato, depth is currently 175m, rate of decent is steady at 5m/s." Asuka replied. "And is it me, or it getting toasty in here?"

" _Asuka, cut the crap._ " Misato said. " _This is serious, you have to find and catch that Angel immediately. So just stay focused on that objective._ "

"Whatever…" Asuka muttered. "Can't see shit anyway, it's so fucking murky down here, I mean, visibility is nada…"

" _Switch to external monitor and set for visibility enhancement._ "

"Yeah, switching now…" Asuka muttered. "Still barely 15m, maybe 20m if I squint… I may as well just use a long stick to find the damn Angel."

" _Asuka, just focus, can you see anything with the limited vision you do have?_ " Misato asked.

"Nope, just staring at lava flows here." Asuka replied.

" _Temperate 1,050°C, depth 700m_." Maya reported.

Asuka continued to search and couldn't see anything at all. She grumbled quietly so Misato wouldn't snap at her again, and Asuka was beginning to get nervous, as it was taking far too long to find a stationary object.

" _Approaching target depth of 1,500m._ " Hyuga reported. " _Depth at 1400m… 20 seconds to contact._ "

" _Good, Hyuga, Asuka keep your eyes open!_ " Misato ordered.

"I know, Misato!" Asuka said angrily. "Target depth reached, but there isn't anything here!" Asuka said angrily. "Where the hell is this thing? We can't have lost it, can we?"

" _The lava flows must be faster than we thought…_ " Ritsuko said.

" _We'll just have to go deeper._ " Misato said. " _Continue decent._ "

" _Ma'am, we're already at the absolute limit of what the armor can take for pressure._ " Maya protested. " _Any further down, and we risk the loss of the EVA and its pilot!_ "

" _Asuka knows the risks…_ " Misato said.

" _Miso, that's insane!_ " Mari shouted. " _Safety limits are there for a reason!_ "

"I appreciate the concern four eyes, but don't worry." Asuka said. "And I do know the risks, but Misato, how deep can this armor really go?"

" _It can theoretically go to 2,000m, but that's an extreme and untested limit, plus the heat on the armor will also make it less resistant to pressure._ " Ritsuko explained. " _We'll leave it up to you Asuka._ "

"I'll keep going." Asuka replied.

The decent continued, as the EVA went deeper, the outer armor began to creak, the transparent faceplate cracked, and the leg deformed so much, that her Prog Knife fell free and drifted away.

"Shit, I lost my Progressive Knife!" Asuka said.

" _Just find the Angel and catch it, and you won't need it._ " Misato said.

On the continued decent, the heat inside the Entry Plug continued to rise, that is until Asuka came across something.

"Depth is 2,125m, I've found the bastard!" Asuka said proudly. "I'm moving in now, I'll only have one shot at this… 40m to contact, 20m… 10m… 5m… extending cage arms… egg is in the capture zone… activating EMF capture net… capture complete."

" _Good job, Asuka!_ " Shinji said.

" _Yes, well done, Asuka._ " Misato said.

"I'm beginning my ascent." Asuka said. "Setting speed to 15m/s."

" _Asuka, is everything ok down there?_ " Misato asked. " _You feeling alright?_ "

"Well, I have the Angel, but I'm all sweaty in all the worst places, I'm also hot and uncomfortable, so I'm not doing that great overall." Asuka said.

" _Gross, princess…_ " Mari quipped.

" _Well, there's an onsen not far from here, we can all go there after the mission is complete._ "

"Sounds like a plan." Asuka replied. "Depth is now 600m and rising… what the fuck?!"

Loud moans were emanating from the cage, and I was starting to shake violently.

Sandalphon was awake.

" _It's hatching!_ " Ritsuko shouted.

" _Jettison the cage and prepare for combat, Asuka!_ " Misato ordered.

"Roger!" Asuka said as the cage was blasted away from Unit–02's clamps, and fell away, allowing Sandalphon to move about freely. Unit–02 reached down to its leg to find that is weapon was not there. "What, shit! I lost my Prog Knife, remember?!"

" _Hold on, Asuka, I'll throw mine down! Get ready!_ " Shinji cried out.

"GO!" Asuka shouted.

" _YAHHHHH!_ " Shinji shouted as the Prog Knife was thrown into the lava.

Asuka looked up as Sandalphon circled around in the murky lava. "Come on you stupid knife!" Asuka shouted. "Stupid viscous liquid!"

Sandalphon charged, as it got closer, Asuka got a clear look at it. It was brown–ish and shaped roughly like a fish on its side. It had a fin for a tail, and smaller, streamlined fins along her sides. It had two giant mushroom protrusions on either side of its dorsal surface, and two eyes on its dorsal surface that were grouped off to the left side of its head. There were also tow antenna coming off of its nose, and a pointed dome on its ventral surface. It also had two long arms that ended with ugly, five fingered hands.

"Jettisoning counterweight belt!" Asuka said as Unit–02 immediately floated out of the way of the charging Angel, buying another moment for the Prog Knife to arrive. Sandalphon circled around for another pass, and attached itself to Unit–02, with its mouth opening wide exposing several tentacles from its mouth, one arm being intercepted by the Prog Knife, and the other grabbing the left leg of the EVA.

"Fucking gross!" Asuka shouted. "Take this, fucker!"

Unit–02 plunged the Prog Knife into the Angel, but it only glanced off the targeted eye, and did absolutely no damage. However, Sandalphon retaliated by ripping the armor off Unit–02's left leg below the knee, causing Asuka intense pain.

"AHHHHH! IT HURTS!" Asuka shouted. "IT BURNS! MY LEG, IT BURNS!"

" _Severing nerve connection below left hip… EVA compromised, severe damage imminent!_ " Maya reported.

Asuka calmed down once the nerves were shut down, but there was still a big problem. "Scheisse!" Asuka shouted. "What do I do, its armor is to strong!"

" _I don't think you can do anything, Asuka!_ " Ritsuko said. " _The heat of the volcano clearly does not effect it, so I doubt anything will really penetrate it._ "

"What if I could shove the Knife in its mouth?" Asuka said.

" _Well, that could work, but you need to find a way to stress its body in some way._ " Ritsuko explained. " _But that doesn't seem possible…_ "

" _Unless you use basic physics, Asuka!_ " Shinji shouted. " _Like thermal expansion!_ "

"I'm so glad I taught you that, baka!" Asuka shouted. "Come on, time to have a snack you stupid Angel!"

Unit–02 severed a coolant hose on its arm and shoved the thing inside Sandalphon's open mouth. "Transfer all coolant pressure to hose number three!" Asuka shouted.

" _Roger!_ " Maya replied, pumping all the coolant into the Angel, and distending it in such a way, Asuka was able to slide the Prog Knife in like a hot knife through butter, puncturing its eye, the Angel trashed, and severing the coolant tubes suspending Unit–02 from the crane above, as the Angel dissolved in the lava.

" _ASUKA!_ " Shinji bellowed. " _HOLD ON!_ "

"I did it… but without those coolant pipes, I'm done for…" Asuka muttered as the armor around her EVA was crushed by the pressure. "Sorry, Shinji, there isn't anything you can do, I guess I'll see you around… take care of him Mari…"

" _Shinji, what are you doing!_ " Misato shouted.

" _Shinji, go for it!_ " Mari shouted happily.

"What's going on?" Asuka asked as the last bits of piping broke apart and Unit–02 began a free fall, a hand shot out of the darkness towards Unit–02, and grabbed it, stopping the decent as abruptly as it started.

Asuka looked up to see the form of Unit–01 holding onto the damaged coolant pipes and to her EVA, keeping her from falling to her death, and also injuring himself in the process.

" _AHHHHH!_ " Shinji screamed. " _JUST HOLD ON ASUKA!_ "

"Shinji!" Asuka screamed. "Shinji, just let go, you're getting hurt!"

" _I'LL BE FINE!_ " Shinji shouted weakly. " _JUST HOLD ON!_ "

As the tow EVAs were pulled out of the lava at great speed, Shinji's grip never slackened until after they were safely on the surface. It took some doing, but Shinji was pulled out of his Entry Plug as Asuka was able to eject hers manually. She ran over to him as Mari ran out from the command center to see him red and slightly blistered from his actions, he was writhing in pain, and crying softly.

"Shinji!" They both shouted.

"Get them back, Major!" The medic shouted. "Get Soryu to another medic as soon as you can, but we need to work on him to make sure he'll be ok… these are some pretty nasty burns… at least I think they're burns…"

"Whatever you have to do." Misato said as she dragged the two girls roughly but the arms away from Shinji "Stop struggling you two! There isn't anything you can do to help but wait and hope for the best!"

"But he got hurt because of me!" Asuka shouted. "I don't want him to be alone!"

"Yeah, miso, she's right, let us go so we can watch him!" Mari protested.

"No, Asuka has to be checked over, as I bet your leg has some of the same injuries he does… just to a lesser extent…" Misato said.

"But…" Asuka protested.

"NO, ASUKA!" Misato roared. "Just go with Mari to the medical tent, and as soon as Shinji has a room in the research facility, I'll let you two sit by him, ok?"

"Fine!" both girls said in protest as Mari led Asuka away.

"It's all my fault…" Asuka said.

"No it isn't, Asuka." Mari said. "Shinji knew what was going to happen, but he did it anyway. He cares a lot about you, you know."

"I guess he really does…" Asuka replied.

* * *

November 5, 2015 – Mt. Asama

Shinji was still in bed, resting comfortably. Asuka and Mari were at his bedside, making sure he was safe. They had been there for three days, getting very little sleep while they watched over him constantly. Asuka had minor burns on her leg, which had dissipated, but Shinji's bur like wounds were much worse, as his whole body was exposed. The redness of his skin had disappeared and he was returning to a normal shade, but he was still in a coma, and the doctors did not know when he'd come out of it.

"Mari… I'm sorry he got hurt…" Asuka said yet again. "It's all my fault…"

"Asuka, stop it, he did that all on his own." Mari said. "He cares about you, and he just wanted to protect you, like he would have done for any of us. He's just that nice of a guy."

"But…" Asuka muttered.

"Look, I've been telling you for three days. It's not your fault." Mari said. "Just let it go."

"Ok…" Asuka said. "But when will he wake up?"

"They don't know, Asuka." Mari said. "But he does look a lot better than he did. I'm sure he'll wake up soon."

"Yeah… he does look better…" Asuka muttered.

Mari wrapped her arm around Asuka and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry too much princess. He's a tough kid, this isn't the worst thing that's happened to him."

"Somehow that's not as comforting as it sounds…" Asuka muttered. 'Why do I feel so guilty about his condition?' Asuka thought. 'Why does it matter if he's hurt… I know I've been fighting this for a while, but I must like him a little bit, right? I know I told myself I wanted to be alone, but being with him seems… natural.'

–––

Shinji was sitting in a train car, alone as an endless landscape kept going past outside. He was bathed in an orange light from the perpetual sunset outside the windows.

"Why am I here again?" Shinji said aloud. "I feel like I've been here forever!"

Rei appeared in front of him. " _You are here because you want to be._ "

"No, I want to go back!" Shinji shouted.

" _You can only exist here if you wish it, Shinji… so somewhere within yourself you need to be here for some reason._ " Rei said.

"But I don't like existing here!" Shinji said. "I just want to go back to my real friends, not these damn apparitions!"

Rei disappeared and Mari appeared in front of him. " _Awww, puppy, you don't like us?_ "

"I like the real you, not these fakes!"

" _How do you know we aren't real?_ " Mari asked.

"I can feel it! I know you're not the real Mari, I know that wasn't Rei!" Shinji said angrily. "I don't feel like I do when the real Mari is around, and that Rei was a joke, she doesn't have dead eyes, not since the day we became friends!"

The form finally changed to Asuka. " _What about me, Shinji?_ " Asuka asked. " _How do you feel around me?_ "

"You should know how I feel around you, you're just in my head!" Shinji shouted.

" _Come on, baka, just tell me._ " Asuka said. " _I won't hurt you… at least not the way you think I will._ "

"Why should I say it, you're not the real Asuka!" Shinji shouted.

" _It'll make you feel better…_ "

Mari and Rei both reappeared on either side of Asuka.

" _You must tell her, Shinji._ " Rei said. " _You must tell her before it's too late._ "

" _Come on puppy…_ " Mari said. " _Just tell the princess how you feel…_ "

" _Please, Shinji?_ " Asuka asked sweetly. " _I just want to know…_ "

"You're not the real Asuka!" Shinji said. "You're not the one I've fallen in love with! The one I'd give my life to protect!"

" _So, it's true…_ " Asuka said. " _Shinji loves me…_ "

"So, what!" Shinji shouted. "I'm allowed to love anyone I want, and I fell for you!" Shinji shouted as he heard a loud, passing train.

–––

Asuka and Mari were asleep, having finally lost the will to stay awake after over three days without sleep. Shinji's eyes opened up slowly, and he looked over to see the two of them supporting each other.

"How cute… they're getting along." Shinji said quietly. He groaned loudly as he tried to move, as his body was still sore from being in the volcano. "Oh, it was a mistake to do that… now it all hurts…"

Asuka and Mari stirred and looked over to see Shinji staring back at them both.

"SHINJI!" they both shouted as they boned out of the chairs and hugged him, causing him to cry out.

"Oh, puppy, I'm sorry." Mari said. "We're just so glad you're awake!"

"Yeah, Shinji, I'm sorry too." Asuka said. "But what the hell were you thinking, worrying us like that!"

"Sorry…" Shinji muttered. "I just didn't want to lose you Asuka…" Shinji said. "I…"

"It's ok, puppy!" Mari said. "Just don't do that again. I don't like being worried like that."

"I'm just glad you're ok, Shinji." Asuka said.

"I'm feeling fine." Shinji said. "A bit sore, but I'm otherwise ok. How long was I out?"

"Oh, three days or so…" Mari said.

"Were you two here the whole time?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, we barely slept worrying about you." Asuka said.

"I'm guessing mostly because your laundry won't do itself, right, Asuka?" Shinji joked.

"No, I can wash my own clothes, thank you very much!" Asuka said. "I just… didn't want to lose… a friend…"

"Thanks, Asuka." Shinji said. "That's why I jumped in to save you. I didn't want to lose a good friend, even if we do fight and argue at times."

"Really?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, I don't ever want to lose a friend again." Shinji said. "One was enough for a lifetime."

"Baka…" Asuka muttered.

"Hey, when you feel better, let's all go to an onsen and relax. Misato said there's one not far from here." Mari suggested. "The water might make you feel better."

"Yeah, that sounds nice…" Shinji said as he glanced at Asuka longingly.

* * *

November 7, 2015 – Nagano, Japan

After a few more days of rest, Shinji was cleared to leave the medical ward of the research center. And the four of them went to an onsen not far from the mountain. Shinji was sitting alone in the men's bath and Asuka and Misato were in the women's while Mari was signing for a package at the door. Inside were Asuka and Mari's swimsuits, one that appeared to be for Shinji, and a very disgruntled, but now pleased, Pen–Pen.

Mari sent the bird to the women's bath and walked in herself, dressed in her bathing suit.

"Well, look at this, four eyes isn't naked." Asuka said.

"Well, Kaji sent these along with the penguin." Mari said. "I think it was his way of telling us not to leave Shinji sitting alone in the other bath."

Asuka saw her new bathing suit and smiled. "Yeah, but Shinji doesn't have one."

"No, Kaji sent one for him too." Mari said.

"Sorry, Misato, but Shinji shouldn't really be alone." Asuka said. "I owe him that much for saving me."

Asuka walked to the changing rooms with her suit leaving Misato and Mari alone.

"Oh, that's fine." Misato said as Asuka disappeared. "I don't mind being alone."

"Hey, one question Misato." Mari said. "What's with the scar?"

"Oh, it's my souvenir of Second Impact." Misato said. "I go it that day, is a reminder for why I joined NERV."

"That's nice." Mari said. "At least now we can try and understand why you hate the Angels so much. You were hurt pretty badly… you must have lost a lot."

"I did, Mari." Misato said. "But I've also gained a lot since then… a family of sorts."

"Something we've all been looking for I bet." Mari said. "Don't worry, we won't do anything inappropriate with the puppy. He just needs lots of cuddles right now."

"Cuddles?" Misato asked. "What are you, ten?"

"Maybe on the inside sometimes." Mari smirked. "But you can't deny, what Shinji did was selfless. He could have died, but he still wanted to save her."

"That's more than many thought possible from him if his earlier actions in the EVA were any indication." Misato said. "But I'm proud of him nonetheless. I didn't want him to jump in, but he did. He saved Asuka without any hesitation…"

"Yeah, well, maybe he likes her or something." Mari thought aloud.

"Doubt it, the way those two fight, it's impossible for them to like each other."

"Talking about them… or you?" Mari said.

"Why would I be talking about me?" Misato asked.

"Oh, no reason." Mari said as she walked off. "Later, miso!"

Asuka and Mari stood at the entrance to the men's bath in their bathing suits, as neither wanted to walk in on Shinji naked. So Mari devised a solution.

"Hey, puppy, you there?" Mari shouted.

"Yeah?" Shinji said.

Mari threw the suit out towards the bath from the entrance. "Put those on, and then tell us when it's safe."

"Us?" Shinji asked. "Who's us?"

"Oh just me and princess." Mari said. "Kaji sent us these so could still socialize."

"But isn't it inappropriate for women to be in the men's bath?" Shinji asked.

"It's less inappropriate than you sneaking in to look at us!" Asuka said.

Shinji got out and covered himself with the small towel and pulled on the bathing suit, which was surprisingly the correct size. "All set."

Asuka and Mari emerged in their own suits and smiled at him.

"So, is our little hero doing ok?" Mari asked as the three of them went into the water. "I thought the baths might make you nervous."

"No, it's not very deep, so I don't get nervous like I do at a pool." Shinji said. "Or a lake…"

"Well, Shinji, it's silly for you not to know ow to swim." Asuka said. "I can teach you if you want. That is as long as you won't be too afraid."

"Yeah, Shinji, you have to face your fears head on." Mari said. "You told me that once."

"I guess I could try to learn." Shinji said. "Maybe in exchange I can teach you the kanji, Asuka. You should be able to read the test questions, and be able to pass a test, and Misato will get off your case."

"Sounds like a fair trade." Asuka said. "We'll start whenever you're ready."

"Yeah, maybe next week." Shinji said. "Once things have settled down again."

"I'd like that." Asuka said quietly.

"Awww, look, you two are so cute together." Mari said.

"Oh, be quiet four eyes." Asuka said.

"Yeah, don't ruin the moment we're all having." Shinji said.

"Fine…" Mari said hugging the both of them tightly. "You know this hug would be far more inappropriate if we were all naked, right?"

"Pervert!" Asuka shouted.

"Oh, there goes the quiet…" Shinji said.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 62.5% (+4.2%)  
Asuka – 50.8% (+4.7%)  
Mari – 50.4% (+8.5%)  
Rei – 48.5% (+6.9%)

Ok, to note, Mitsukoshi is a Japanese department store, and I figured I'd use a Japanese one, rather than an American one (Macy's or the like) for realism, as the story _is_ set in Japan after all.

Now, Shinji did get injured in the show, they simply left it out. Let me explain… he jumped into a volcano, without Type–D Equipment, and went down to Asuka's position to save her. Now even with an A.T. Field, it would not have protected him from the heat, so he would have suffered, even with a low sync rate, it would happen. You feel what the EVA feels, and the lava is fucking hot, so you're _going_ to feel _something_.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	11. Darkness Descends; Matarael Dissolves

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode IV: The Last Hope

* * *

Chapter 11 – Darkness Descends; Matarael Dissolves  
December 4, 2015 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Asuka awoke on that Friday like it was any other day. Even if it was her birthday, she didn't want to make a big deal out of it. The last few times she's celebrated her birthday it was with either Kaji or Misato, and it had been a quiet affair. She had never had any friends to celebrate it with, so she just decided to avoid any problems and not say anything at all.

Asuka showered and got ready quietly and saw Shinji in the kitchen cooking lots German sausage and bacon.

"Morning Asuka." Shinji said happily. "How are you today?"

"Fine I guess." Asuka said. 'I wonder why he's cooking that… he must know about today, or he's just being nice… I doubt Misato remembers, the way she's been lately, I'm surprised she's capable of going to work at all.' Asuka thought.

"Well, maybe this will cheer you up, Asuka." Shinji said. "I finally got the order in I placed a few weeks ago, so we can have a bunch of your favorite food for breakfast." Shinji smiled. "I hope that's alright."

"It's great, thanks Shinji." Asuka said. 'I guess today won't be so bad after all.'

Shinji smiled as he served Asuka her plate and made one for himself and left two empty plates for Mari and Misato.

"I'm surprised you're up so early though." Shinji said. "Something on your mind?"

"Not really, just couldn't sleep anymore." Asuka said. "I figured I should just get ready for school instead of waiting for Mari to get out of the shower."

"Asuka, I'm curious, are you still mad at sharing your room?" Shinji asked.

"Not really, I just wish she had asked us both first, like I should have asked you before asking Misato if I could move in." Asuka replied. "I can understand why you were so angry when I took your room… and I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize Asuka." Shinji said. "I don't mind my smaller room… it's not like I have a lot of stuff." Shinji said.

"Still…" Asuka said.

"Don't worry about it." Shinji smiled. "I'm over it, Asuka."

"Good." Asuka said. "So, do you have any surprises planned for dinner?"

"No, probably just going to be something simple." Shinji said. "We have clean up duty today, remember? Hikari assigned it to us last week."

"Crap, I forgot." Asuka said. "Oh well, I know you'll do most of the cleaning like you do here."

"Well, I just clean faster than you Asuka, and if it gets us home quicker, so be it." Shinji said. "Besides, you and Mari help me sometimes. Especially with the dishes, which is nice, not having to cook _and_ clean."

"Well, we can't just sit and mooch for no reason." Asuka said. "That's just plain rude!"

"Tell that to Misato…" Shinji said.

"Yeah, well, she drinks and works, so it doesn't leave a lot of time for anything else, does it?" Asuka said. "Plus, I bet she'll give you some line about a roof over our heads, so there really isn't a point in calling her out is there?"

"No, plus all the hell Mari puts her through, I guess it's fair enough." Shinji said.

"Yeah, Mari can be so harsh with her, like she acts older and more mature than Misato sometimes." Asuka said.

"Well, dumping out all her beer and sake wasn't mean, it was actually funny." Shinji said. "The part that was great is when she told her that she had no idea where it had all gone to."

"Well, it was more Misato's face that did it for me, really." Mari said. "Morning all, food smells great!"

"Yeah, well, it should, Shinji cooked." Asuka said.

"I'm not that great, Asuka." Shinji replied.

"No, puppy, you are, stop being so damn modest." Mari said. "Plus, you save us from Misato's poor excuse for cooking."

Mari piled food on her plate and sat down on Shinji's other side and dug in.

"See, me and Mari agree on something, you're a great cook." Asuka said.

"Well if you can both agree on something, than I guess it's true…" Shinji said.

"You bet your ass it's true." Mari said. "Don't sell yourself short all the time."

"Fine… if you'll both stop bugging me about it." Shinji said.

"Oh, agreeing to shut us up, eh?" Mari teased. "You're learning, puppy."

"Yeah, and maybe I can teach you two how to do laundry…" Shinji joked.

"Not likely, baka." Asuka said. "I don't get all the symbols on the tags, so I'll just leave that complex shit to you."

"You're _so_ generous, Asuka." Shinji said.

"Oh, good breakfast!" Misato said stumbling out of her room.

"Shit, if she's awake…" Asuka said loudly.

"We're gonna be late!" Mari said louder.

The three of them shot up and grabbed their bags and ran to the door.

"Bye, Misato!" Shinji called as they ran out the door.

–––

Rei was floating silently inside a tank of LCL in a darkened room. She was naked and trying to rest her eyes after having been in the tube for over 10 hours. Rei opened her eyes to see Gendo and Ritsuko looking at her.

"Rei are you alright in there?" Gendo asked.

"Yes, Commander." Rei replied. "I am quite fine in here."

"No discomfort from the extended time in the LCL?" Ritsuko asked.

"No, Dr. Akagi, I am fine." Rei replied. "Although, I did have plans for later today, if that is alright."

"Well, the test is almost done, and school will be over." Ritsuko said. "You'll be free in about an hour, is that alright?"

"More than acceptable, Dr. Akagi." Rei replied.

"Rei, what plans do you have?" Gendo asked.

"I have been invited to a party by Shinji." Rei said. "I thought it may be… enjoyable."

"What sort of party, Rei?" Ritsuko asked.

"Well, all Shinji told me was that it was a surprise." Rei said.

"Well, that sounds fun, Rei, I hope you enjoy yourself."

"Yes… I do hope you have fun, Rei." Gendo said. "Although if you ever feel uncomfortable you can always leave."

"I have never felt uncomfortable around Shinji, Commander." Rei replied. "I doubt I could feel discomfort anywhere within his vicinity."

"Why do you say that, Rei?" Gendo asked.

"Since he saved my life, I have felt… safe… around him." Rei said.

"Intriguing…" Gendo said. "I'm glad you've made friends with Shinji, Rei."

"As am I, Commander." Rei replied. "I am… fortunate… to have befriended him."

–––

Shinji and Asuka were walking home from school. They were a bit behind as Asuka had knocked over the mop bucket by mistake, making a large mess they both cleaned up. Thankfully Shinji was able to pick up the mess relatively quickly, and Asuka helped, and apologized to Shinji profusely, and also blamed the bucket for being stupid and tippable.

"Stupid fucking bucket, who has a bucket that can tip that easily?!" Asuka said angrily.

"No, idea, Asuka…" Shinji said.

"A moron, that's who designs a bucket that way!" Asuka said. "I'm gonna tell Hikari to get us a different bucket so that doesn't happen again!"

"Well, just tell her in the morning." Shinji said. "Don't bug her while she's home about that, it can wait till then."

"Yeah, yeah." Asuka said. "Sorry for complaining so much, Shinji. I know I can be tiring."

"It's ok, Asuka." Shinji said. "You're not tiring, it's ok to complain about stuff."

"Thanks, Shinji." Asuka said. "So, what's for dinner?" Asuka asked as they approached the apartment.

"No idea…" Shinji said. "Have anything in mind?"

"Maybe some more of that food from this morning?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, sure…" Shinji said. "I think I can handle that."

"Good, baka." Asuka joked. "You treat me so well."

"I try." Shinji said. "Oh, shit… I forgot my key, Asuka. Can you open the door?"

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Jeez, Shinji, how do you forget something like that?"

"Well, we were in a rush this morning, Asuka." Shinji said.

"Yeah… that's true." Asuka as she opened the door. "Why the fuck is it so dark in here? Is four eyes playing with herself with mood lighting or something?"

"SURPRISE!" The lights turned on and everyone inside the hallway shouted. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ASUKA!"

"Wha…" Asuka said.

Hikari, Toji, Kensuke, Mari, Rei, Misato, and Kaji were standing in the hallway smiling widely, wearing party hats.

"It's a surprise party, Asuka." Shinji said. "I set it up."

"How did you know…" Asuka muttered.

"Well…" Shinji said. "I saw it in your file when Misato was going over stuff on her computer a few weeks ago. So, because it was coming up, I thought it would be nice if we celebrated it."

"So, you set this all up?" Asuka asked again.

"Of course he did, Asuka." Hikari said. "He told us all about it a week ago so we would be free. He also asked me set it up for you two to have cleaning duty so we could get here and hide for when you got home."

"Yeah, the puppy just told me to not say anything either, so that I wouldn't ruin the surprise. For some reason he didn't trust me…" Mari said.

"Yeah, he told me the other day." Misato said. "I didn't tell them about your birthday cause I thought you didn't like people to know."

"Yeah… I didn't… but I didn't have friends before now…" Asuka muttered. "So it seemed kinda… dumb to celebrate it."

"Nah…" Toji said. "You should always celebrate it, that way you can get tons a presents!"

"Or you know, just cash…" Kensuke said.

"Well… that could be nice." Asuka said.

"And I believe Shinji also baked you a cake." Rei said. "It looked quite delicious."

"Really?" Asuka said. "You went through all this effort?"

"Yeah, I did, it wasn't that hard." Shinji said. "I figured a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting would go over well."

"Wait, chocolate _with_ chocolate?" Asuka asked.

Shinji blushed. "Yeah…"

"That sounds delicious…" Asuka said. "What else are we having?"

"Well, I ordered a bunch of German food to have it shipped in." Shinji said. "I thought that would be a nice surprise."

"It is." Asuka said.

"Hey, Asuka, perhaps you should say something to Shinji for setting this all up." Kaji said.

"Yeah, Shinji…" Asuka said, blushing slightly. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Asuka." Shinji said.

"Now, let's eat!" Misato said.

After serving up a bunch of food and eating to their heart's content, with Rei avoiding the meat dishes in favor of the few vegetarian dishes, everyone cleared out much of the food Shinji had ordered, and leaving everyone near comatose, Shinji brought out the cake and lit the 15 candles.

"Ok, Asuka…" Shinji said happily. "Make a wish."

Asuka blew out the candles and thought about her wish. 'I have the same wish I always do… to find the friend I lost so long ago… '

After some cake, which Asuka and everyone else loved to death, including Shinji's homemade frosting, it was time for the gifts.

"Oooh, me first, me first!" Mari said handing Asuka a gift.

"Sure, four eyes, go ahead." Asuka said taking the gift and opening it. "Oh… this is nice." Asuka held up a video game cartridge, namely _Street Fighter II_.

"I saw your Game Boy in your room, and figured you might like to play a new game." Mari said. "I looked at your collection, and didn't see it, but I thought you might like it."

"Thanks, Mari." Asuka said. "Just stop going through my stuff…"

"No problem, princess." Mari said happily.

"This is for you, Asuka." Toji said. "Couldn't think of much, but thought you might like these."

Asuka opened the gift to reveal the four volumes of the Medabots manga. "Wow, these look interesting…" Asuka said.

"Well, I thought you might not like, ya know, typical chick manga, so I thought these would be pretty cool." Toji said. "Hope you like them!"

"Thanks, Toji." Asuka said.

"Here, Asuka." Kensuke said nervously.

Asuka opened it to reveal some cash. "Thanks, Kensuke." Asuka said.

"I know it's not as thoughtful, but I thought you could buy something you wanted without limiting what you could buy with like a gift card." Kensuke said sheepishly.

"Its fine… cash is great." Asuka said.

"Here's mine, Asuka." Hikari said. "I know you'll like it."

Asuka opened it to reveal a friendship pendant. "Hikari, is this the one we saw at the store?"

"Yep, you said it looked cool, so I got it for us." Hikari said revealing the matching pendant. "For my best friend!"

"Thanks, Hikari." Asuka said as she put it on.

Rei stepped forward. "I do not have a physical present for you."

"Oh, so, what is it?" Asuka asked.

"My friendship… Asuka." Rei said.

"Thanks, wundergirl, that's a nice gift." Asuka said kindly. "Oh should I call you Rei?"

"Your nickname for me, while it was insulting, did not sound so insulting when you said it, so it is more than acceptable to call me that, or by my given name." Rei explained.

"Well, either way, I'm glad we're friends." Asuka said.

"As am I… Asuka." Rei replied.

"This is from me, Asuka." Misato said. "I hope you like it."

Asuka opened it and saw a large chocolate bar. "Thanks, Misato."

"No problem, Asuka." Misato said.

"And last but not least, this is from me, Asuka." Kaji said happily.

Asuka took Kaji's gift and opened it, revealing a digital watch. "Thanks, Kaji!"

"You're quite welcome, Asuka." Kaji said.

"Well, that's all the presents." Misato said happily. "More cake!"

After eating what remained of the cake, the party began to die down. People slowly started to leave, with Toji and Kensuke leaving first, followed by Rei and Hikari. Hikari did not want to walk home alone, so Kaji offered her a ride, ad Misato offered Rei one, as it was late, which Rei accepted. This left Mari, Shinji, and Asuka alone in the apartment, with Mari and Shinji beginning the cleanup. After cleaning up most of food scraps and washing the dishes, Mari went off to bed, yawning loudly.

"Night all." Mari said. "See you guys in the morning."

Shinji smiled. "Goodnight, Mari."

"Night, Mari." Asuka said.

Asuka looked at Shinji. "Shinji, thank you for the party, it was very fun."

Shinji smiled. "You're welcome, Asuka. I was glad to do it." Shinji frowned a bit. "Sorry I didn't get you anything though…"

"Shinji, the party was enough of a gift." Asuka said. "I don't remember the last time I had so much fun."

Asuka got off the couch and hugged Shinji. "This was the best birthday I've had in a while."

"You're welcome, Asuka." Shinji said.

"Hey, when's your birthday?" Asuka asked.

"June 6th, why?" Shinji asked.

"Just so I can remember to get you something." Asuka said. "It's only fair seeing as you did all this…"

"Thanks, Asuka…" Shinji said.

"Still, Shinji, you gave me the greatest gift of all…" Asuka said.

"What's that?" Shinji asked.

"Your kindness." Asuka said.

Shinji blushed. "Happy birthday, Asuka."

* * *

December 6, 2015 – NERV HQ

Ritsuko was in the Evangelion Cage. She was overlooking the final outfitting of Unit–00, and stationed next to it in custom restraints, was a completed Unit–XP. Maya and Misato were standing next to her, looking at the Evangelion.

"So, that's Unit–XP…" Misato muttered.

"Yes, I remember seeing the plans for this when I was at the 4th Branch." Ritsuko said. "It was an impressive sight, that spear, and the clawed hand. The legs were the shock, the fact it can roll like a tank, or waddle, it was… impressive, and its massive gun… everything."

"So I'm guessing it doesn't have a Progressive Knife." Maya said.

"No, its pylons have close in weapons systems." Ritsuko said. "It can launch 20 spikes from each, right into an Angel's face."

"So, can you deploy it?" Misato asked. "And Unit–00?"

"Unit–00 is combat ready, and with the activation test scheduled for today for Unit–XP, we can clear it for combat by this evening."

"So, the kids are coming for activations tests then?" Misato asked.

"Don't you remember?" Ritsuko asked.

"Yes, but I'll make sure to go up and greet them." Misato said. "We'll need a proper deployment plan for all these Evangelions, won't we?"

"Well, four Evangelions…" Maya said. "Someone could take over the world with that much raw power."

"Well, with great power, comes great responsibility." Misato said. "I don't really care about anything like that, too much responsibility to rule the world, Maya. I'll just stick to defending it."

"Well said, Major." Maya said.

"Well, I'm off to meet the kids, I'm sure Rei will be pleased her EVA is in working order again." Misato said. "I like the new paint job so much more too…"

"Yes, the blue does look far more impressive than the original color scheme." Ritsuko said. "But, it is fully combat ready, plated in the production armor, you know, Type–B Equipment, and it wasn't our fault it was delayed, Shinji and Asuka have been making lots of repair work for us, pushing it off. The sixth Angel, the Seventh Angel… hell the eight Angel we had to regrow a leg for Unit–02!" Ritsuko exclaimed. "It was a rush job to have it on standby, but now that it's properly finished, I'm glad it's done."

"I know, Ritsuko, I was there." Misato said. "Anyway, see you later."

–––

Misato got to the elevator, and as it opened who should she see but Kaji inside.

"Ah, Katsuragi!" Kaji said happily. "How are you?"

"Well, I was having a good day." Misato said.

"Such unkind words from such a kind woman." Kaji said.

"Oh, be quiet you…" Misato said angrily.

"Why on Earth would I…" Kaji started, when all of a sudden the elevator shook and stopped and then went dark, and then the emergency lights switched on and bathed them in a reddish glow.

"It's been more than 20 seconds…" Misato muttered. "Why isn't the backup power online?"

"No idea." Kaji said. "This is worry some though…" Kaji said. "There are like three or four redundant systems, right?"

"Yeah, something like that." Misato said. "This can't be good… we're under some sort of attack I bet."

"Yeah…" Kaji said. "But why cut the power?"

"No idea…" Misato said. "But I should try and call Central Dogma." Misato said picking up the emergency phone, but there was no signal. "Right… electric phones, no power, no talking… damn it all to hell!"

"Misato, relax." Kaji said. "We can't do anything, so maybe we should just… relax."

"Get that thought out of your head right now you old pervert." Misato said angrily.

"I meant only sitting down." Kaji said. "Standing forever won't solve anything."

Misato grumbled. "It's going to be along power outage isn't it?"

"I hope not." Kaji said. "As this does seem like an ideal time for an Angel attack. With our plants literally down around our ankles."

"Yeah… an attack…" Misato said. "That would make it a perfect fucking day…"

–––

"Ma'am, why isn't the backup power coming on?" Maya asked. "Did we do that with spooling the power for the EVAs?"

"Doubtful, these circuits are isolated and insulated from overloads, we couldn't have done anything…" Ritsuko said. "And the backups being offline means this isn't an accident… its intentional."

"Sabotage?" Maya asked.

"Yes, sabotage." Ritsuko said. "We should get to Central Dogma. Bates?"

"Yes, ma'am?" Bates asked.

"Get all the EVA ready for emergency sortie." Ritsuko ordered. "I know it's a little ridiculous, but get the ball rolling, I have a feeling an Angel will be coming along…"

"Right away, ma'am." Bates replied.

–––

Central Dogma was in a tizzy. Fuyutsuki was the only one hand from the command staff for the crisis, as Gendo was now in his office, several levels away. Fuyutsuki was staring out at the blank screen in front of him, instead of the usual holographic display that accompanied it.

"Lieutenant Aoba, where is the backup power?!" Fuyutsuki shouted.

"No idea, Sub–Commander…" Aoba reported. "It appears they've been disabled…"

"How is that even possible, there are redundancies!" Fuyutsuki said angrily. He called down to one of the lower levels of Central Dogma. "How many circuits are still active?!"

"Only 1.2% of them, sir!" The technician called back.

"Damn it all to hell…" Fuyutsuki said. "Aoba, have all the remaining power shunted to the MAGI and Central Dogma."

"Sir, won't that interfere with our life support systems?" Aoba asked.

"That doesn't matter, the MAGI cannot shut down." Fuyutsuki said. "They aren't a simple computer, they require a process to shut down properly."

"Right away, sir." Aoba said, getting to work.

–––

The four pilots were walking towards NERV HQ, unaware the power was offline in the city. They were discussing the newest developments at HQ, namely, Mari's Unit–XP.

"So, you're finally going to be allowed to touch an EVA, eh, four eyes?" Asuka said.

"Well, they let you pilot one, so it's only fair if they let me." Mari retorted.

"Oh, will you two stop." Shinji said. "Asuka, you had to have known this day was coming."

"Of course I did, baka!" Asuka said. "Still, I'm surprised they're going to let the crazy one here take an EVA for a spin."

"I do not see the relevance of Mari's mental state, Asuka." Rei said. "She does not fit any definition from the DSM–5, so I do not know why you are categorizing her as crazy."

"It's a turn of phrase, blueberry." Mari replied. "She's only making a joke."

"Oh, I see…" Rei said. "So it is similar to you calling me a fruit."

"Not quite…" Mari said.

"So if I were to call you a retard, would that also be a joke, as you do not fit the definition of someone with lower than average intelligence?" Rei asked.

Shinji and Asuka laughed, and Mari smirked.

"Yes, blueberry, that's exactly right." Mari said.

As they approached the above ground entrance to NERV HQ, the still didn't notice the power outage. They each pulled out their I.D. cards, and swiped them at the entry points, to no effect.

"What the hell?" Asuka exclaimed. "It's not working!"

"Did you swipe it the wrong way?" Mari joked.

"Of course not, you moron!" Asuka exclaimed.

"Well, mine's not working either…" Mari said. "I wonder what's up."

"Neither is mine…" Rei said.

"Yeah, it like the power's out…" Shinji said.

"That is highly improbable." Rei explained. "Tokyo–3 has several redundant power backup to allow for an uninterrupted supply of power. I the backups are offline, it means sabotage is the inevitable conclusion."

"Well, that's some shit." Mari said. "So what do we do now?"

"We open our emergency contingency packets, we should all have them." Rei said, pulling hers out of her bag. Shinji, Mari and Asuka rummaged for theirs and they all read the plan.

"So, we all report tot Central Dogma for further instructions." Shinji said. "We'll probably just have to sit in the Entry Plug and wait for an attack."

"That sounds likely." Asuka said. "So, seeing as I'm the best pilot…"

"Debatable." Mari muttered.

"I'll take charge here and lead us to the command center!" Asuka said proudly.

"If we let her fuck up, then we can just take the power away from her." Mari whispered to Shinji.

"Just be nice about it, Mari." Shinji said quietly.

"Understood." Rei said.

So without protest, Asuka led them to manual access door.

"Ok, Shinji, get to work." Asuka said. "And help him out Mari, you're pretty strong too."

"Whatever…" Mari said.

"Alright." Shinji said.

With a little effort, the manual lever was turned enough to open the hydraulic door.

"There, all set." Shinji said.

"Alright, onwards to our goal!" Asuka said.

–––

Makoto Hyuga was walking to his apartment from the store. He was looking around at the traffic lights.

"Wonder why it seems they're out…" Hyuga said. "They shouldn't be out… even with a temporary blackout, it would have been announced."

Hyuga looked into the distance to see something approaching. "What the hell is that?" All Hyuga could see was what looked like four legs moving slowly towards the city. "Son of a bitch, it's an Angel! I have to alert HQ!"

–––

"Sirs!" The Lieutenant said. "We have an unidentified object on radar, heading directly to Tokyo–3!"

"Have you been able to get ahold of NERV?" The naval admiral sitting on the right side said.

"No sirs!" The Lieutenant replied. "They seem to have a communications blackout."

"Try them again!" The army general sitting on the left side said. "And deploy our forces to track the target in real time."

"Launch our VTOL squadrons to follow them." The air force general seated in the middle said. "And put Archangel Squadron on standby."

"Aye, sirs!" The Lieutenant replied.

–––

Ritsuko and Maya clambered into Central Dogma at the same time Gendo did. With the power down, it made their journey somewhat difficult.

"Commander, Dr. Akagi." Fuyutsuki said. "Glad you could make it."

"It was only slightly difficult." Gendo said.

"The trip from the Cage wasn't too bad. If we have to go back, we can, the doors are all open." Ritsuko said.

"Fuyutsuki, any idea why the power is out?" Gendo asked.

"No idea, Commander, sabotage is the only likely cause, but other than that, we have no idea." Fuyutsuki replied.

"Well, if whoever did this were to see how we restored the power, they would have an idea about the layout of the base from our procedures of reactivation." Maya said.

"Well put, Lieutenant Ibuki." Gendo said.

"Thank you sir." Maya said.

"Dr. Akagi, can you set up a program to deal with a false reactivation grid?" Gendo asked.

"Yes, sir, that is doable." Ritsuko said. "I'll get to work on it."

"I'll head down to the Cage, the EVAs will need to be ready for emergency sortie." Gendo said. "We'll have to move the Entry Plugs manually, and the batteries should have some diesel generators for the task of charging."

"I've ordered the EVAs be readied, sir." Ritsuko said. "I also had a feeling this would be the opportune time for an Angel to attack?"

"It is, which is why all four must be ready to go."

"I just hope the pilots get here soon." Ritsuko said.

"The children are smart, and will be running into the same issues the rest of us have." Gendo said. "They're more than capable of getting down here, it's only a matter of time."

"That very nice of you sir." Maya said.

"Lieutenant Ibuki, please come with me to the Cage, I need someone else in authority to assist me."

"Yes, sir." Maya said sheepishly. "Right away."

"We'll send up their plugsuits so they can change when they arrive." Gendo said as he and Maya left Central Dogma.

–––

"Asuka, we keep walking up?" Shinji said. "Shouldn't we be going, I don't know… down? Because Central Dogma is underground, right?"

"Oh, be quiet Shinji." Asuka said. "Sometimes to go down one must go up."

"See, that sound philosophical, but it's not…" Mari said.

"Quiet, look, see?" Asuka said pointing ahead. "It's a door."

"Well open up imperious leader." Mari said. "Don't let us stop you."

Asuka opened the door to see sunlight.

"Nice job, princess." Mari said. "You led us above ground, exactly the opposite way, so will you cede your command to someone else?"

"Yeah, I don't see why not…" Asuka said, staring out the door as something passed it. Something black with an eye set inside a red triangle.

"AHHHHH!" The four of them screamed as the eye blinked at them. Asuka grabbed the hatch and slammed it, leaning against it after relocking the door.

"The fuck was that!" Shinji shouted. "It can't be another Angel!"

"Well, it looked creepy enough, so it probably is a fucking Angel." Asuka breathed heavily. "We definitely need to get down there now, if the power is out, they won't know about it, will they?"

"Logical assumption." Rei said. "If go back to the last junction, we can use the air ducts to get down to Central Dogma."

"Alright, Rei, lead the way." Mari said. "That is if Asuka is ok with that."

"Yeah, sure…" Asuka mumbled. "Let's just get away from here…"

–––

The four pilots were in a ventilation duct, crawling slowly on their hands and knees to their destination of Central Dogma. It was slow going as Rei was remembering the layouts from memory, but she was on the right track.

"We should be there soon." Rei said.

"Jesus, could you crawl slower, wundergirl?" Asuka said.

"Oh, quiet down, Asuka." Mari said. "This sucks for all of us."

"Yeah, well you better not be looking up my skirt!" Asuka said angrily.

"Why would I?" Mari said. "I already know what color panties you're wearing, the pink ones, am I right?"

"Oh, shut up!" Asuka said.

"Hey, puppy, do you like my panties?" Mari said. "If I'd known you be behind me, I'd have worn sexier ones for you."

"I'm not looking, Mari." Shinji said.

"Well, they're white, so get a good look if you do." Mari purred as she stopped and lifted up her skirt, causing Shinji to run into her ass. "I don't mind."

"Sure you don't, you pervert." Asuka said. "Why did you stop?"

"To give Shinji a proper look of course." Mari said. "Like what you see, puppy?"

"Mari, why did you do that?" Shinji said, rubbing his nose from where it had impacted Mari's bum.

"I said you should look, I just helped you out a bit." Mari said.

"Fucking pervert!" Asuka said.

"She is not perverted, Asuka." Rei said. "She simply seems to like him a lot." Rei smirked. "I believe they call it flirting, correct, Mari?"

"Yes, blueberry, it I called flirting." Mari said.

"Surrounded by idiots…" Asuka said. "Come on let's keep… oh shit!" Asuka exclaimed as the grate below her started to give way as Mari and Shinji pushed forward. The grate then gave way.

"AHHHHH!" Asuka screamed.

"WAAAAA!" Shinji cried.

"WHEEEE!" Mari shouted.

The three of them landed squarely in front of Ritsuko. Shinji landed awkward with his face in Asuka's crotch, and his crotch on Mari's face.

"Oh… well…" Ritsuko said. "We were just looking for you."

Rei came gracefully out of the grate ad landed gingerly on her fee and looked at the three on the ground and she smiled.

"That somehow seems less than appropriate." Rei said. "Yet somehow it is also extremely… comical."

"You have no idea." Mari said. "Such reactions from such a quiet boy." Mari said. "Who knew you had so much to offer."

Shinji blushed. "Mari!"

"Pervert!" Asuka shouted.

"Oh, so the princess want to sample the puppy's wares…" Mari purred.

"Enough you three!" Fuyutsuki said. "You need to suit up immediately. We need to have you ready to deploy."

"Well, about that…" Asuka said as Shinji helped her up.

A voice could be heard shouting loudly. " _It's an Angel, an Angel is in Tokyo–3!_ "

"That sounds like Hyuga…" Aoba said.

"Yeah, well, we uh… saw it." Shinji said. "We took a long turn and found a surface hatch, and it was walking by…"

"Yeah, we got here as fast as we could." Mari said. "So, where are our plugsuits."

"Though here." Fuyutsuki said. "Just get changed in there. We set up a few sheets to for your privacy."

"Thank you, Sub–Commander." Rei said as the four of them traipsed off to get changed.

"Sir, the comm is back up, we have confirmation, the Ninth Angel is moving towards an Evangelion deployment point and holding position."

"Right, get changed and head directly to the Cage." Fuyutsuki ordered. "The Commander should have everything prepped for you."

"My… father?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, the Commander is helping prep the Entry Pugs manually." Fuyutsuki replied. "He reported that Unit–01, and Unit–02 have been prepped, and given a few more minutes, Unit–00 and Unit–XP will be ready."

–––

A black, four legged creature was moving towards an empty place in the road. Its legs were long like a spider's, going sharply into the air and coming back down at a sharp angle. The dorsal surface was olive green and held the connections for the legs. He had eight eyes set along the sides of the oblong main body. The eyes were set into red triangles, and a main eye was on the ventral surface of the main body, and was a larger than the other eyes, and lacked the red triangle.

As he stood over his target, an orange ooze came out of its main eyes, burning a hole in the ground, causing steam to rise from the breach on the armor, and revealing an Evangelion deployment point.

Matarael was on target and boring down to NERV HQ.

–––

Misato and Kaji were still in the elevator. Misato had stripped off her jacket and was fanning herself while Kaji sat there staring at her.

"You know doing that makes it hotter." Kaji said.

"I didn't ask you." Misato said. "Why is it so hot in here?"

"Oh, they'll have transferred power from the life support to the MAGI, so the air conditioning and air circulation are probably off." Kaji said.

"Fucking wonderful…" Misato said.

"You still look great you know." Kaji said.

Misato looked down and saw herself somewhat exposed without her jacket and put it back on. "Pervert… stop looking."

"Sorry, it's hard to look away from you." Kaji said. "As beautiful as you are."

"You lost your privilege to do that the day you walked out on me."

Kaji looked at her. "Do you remember that night?" Kaji asked. "I do, and I left because I was mad at you… but I've forgiven you… and I understand why you're mad at me… I remember what I didn't say, and I still regret it."

"You forgive me?" Misato asked.

"Yes, for that ridiculous lie you told to make me jealous." Kaji said. "I knew you were lying, you're not the person who cheats…"

"Yeah, well… whatever…" Misato said. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Doesn't it?" Kaji asked. "The kids are worried about you, you know. The drinking and forgetfulness. It worries me."

"All these Angels… they bring back the memories from Second Impact… the nightmares only go away when I drink…" Misato said. "That way I can sleep peacefully…"

"Misato, you should talk to someone…" Kaji said. "You need to… I'm here for you even if you don't want me to be…"

"Really?" Misato asked.

"Of course." Kaji said. "I remember what you told me about Second Impact. You shouldn't be alone with that…"

"Thanks, Kaji…" Misato said. "For being a good friend…"

–––

Shinji was in his Entry Plug, as were the rest of the pilots. He was looking at the internal display showing "INTERNAL POWER SELECTED" and the familiar timer counting down from "45:00:00" far longer than usual.

"Why so much power, Dr. Akagi?" Shinji asked.

" _Well, with the reserve batteries on your pylons and in your power socket, you have an additional 40 minutes of power._ " Ritsuko explained.

" _Why can't we use these more often?_ " Asuka asked.

" _They are only for emergencies like this._ " Ritsuko said. " _Otherwise it power sockets only._ "

" _Lame…_ " Mari said.

" _Lame or not, you know the plan._ " Ritsuko said. " _You crawl up the shaft and intercept the Angel. You have a Pallet Rifle a piece, and Mari has her spikes in the pylons._ "

" _Wonderful!_ " Mari said.

" _Good enough._ " Asuka said.

"Roger." Shinji replied.

" _Then Evangelions… commence launch!_ " Ritsuko ordered.

The EVAs crawled through the ducts, or In Unit–XP's case, rolling in a similar position that Matarael was.

" _No wonder the batteries last so long, we've elapsed 10 minutes already!_ " Asuka said angrily.

"It could be worse Asuka." Shinji said. "You can't say I'm looking up anyone's skirt now, can you?"

" _I suppose not._ " Asuka said.

Mari was getting board, so she did what she always does, sing…

**♪Happiness doesn't walk to me, because I'm walking to it**   
**One day, one step. Three steps in three days**   
**Three steps forward, two steps back**   
**Life's a one–two punch…♪**

" _Shut it, four eyes!_ " Asuka said. " _Try focusing on the task and less on the singing!_ "

" _Fine…_ " Mari muttered. " _Loser…_ "

" _Mari, you have a wonderful voice._ " Rei said.

" _Thanks blueberry._ " Mari said. " _That's sweet of you to say._ "

"Yeah what song was that?" Shinji asked.

" _Can we focus?!_ " Asuka shouted. " _Kill! Angel! Very straight forward!_ "

" _Yeah, yeah… we know…_ " Mari said.

"Hey, less fighting guys." Shinji said. "We _do_ need to focus."

" _Whatever…_ " Asuka muttered.

After another few minutes, they found what they were looking for.

" _Oh, look, the hatch to where we need to go._ " Asuka said happily.

" _Yeah, it is._ " Mari said. " _Kick it out princess._ "

Unit–02 kicked the hatch out and started up the shaft towards the Angel, behind her Unit–00 and Unit–XP followed, with Unit–01 bringing up the rear.

Unit–02 looked up to see the Angel's eye above them.

" _What an ugly thing you are._ " Asuka said.

" _None of the Angels have been what you could characterize as cute, Asuka._ " Rei said.

" _Good point, Rei._ " Asuka said. " _What is it doing… AHHHH! It burns!_ "

Matarael began dripping acid from its eye, and it burned the side walls of the shaft, causing Unit–02 to lose its grip and fall down, slamming into Unit–XP and Unit–00 and sending them down. Unit–01 braced itself and caught the three EVAs and slid down several meters, as the three Pallet Rifles fell down to the bottom of the shaft.

"Shit!" Shinji shouted. "You guys are heavy!"

" _Get in the duct!_ " Asuka shouted as more acid came at them.

The Evangelions clambered into the side duct as more acid dropped past them.

" _Jesus, how do we counter that shit?_ " Mari asked.

" _I lost my rifle…_ " Rei said.

" _I dropped mine too._ " Asuka said.

"I had to, otherwise we would've all fallen down there." Shinji said.

" _It's fine…_ " Asuka said. " _I have a plan._ "

" _Oh, taking the lead again, princess?_ " Mari asked.

" _You bet your ass!_ " Asuka said. " _So, we have four EVAs and four positions. We have 15 minutes of power left, so we'll kill this bastard and get out of here. So, there will be four positions. Defense, attack, backup, and reserve. The reserve will be Rei, you'll go and retrieve the rifle, Mari, you'll be the backup Shinji, and if he misses, you'll take that spear of yours and stab the thing in the eye. Shinji, you'll be on offence, Rei will pass the rifle to Mari, and she'll toss it to you._ "

"Asuka, that leaves you on defense." Shinji said. "That means the acid…"

" _I can take it, Shinji, don't worry._ " Asuka said. " _Least I can do for your antics last month._ "

"But…" Shinji said.

" _So, is everyone agreed?_ " Asuka asked.

" _Yep, nice plan princess…_ " Mari said happily.

" _Understood._ " Rei said calmly.

"Alright… let's go." Shinji said.

The EVAs moved into the shaft carefully. Unit–00 dropped down to the bottom, activating its pylon's retro rockets to land safely. Unit–00 picked up one of the Pallet Rifles and tossed it up to an awaiting Unit–XP. Unit–XP tossed the rifle to Unit–01 while Unit–02 got into position to stave off the acid.

" _Now, Shinji!_ " Asuka called out.

" _Kill the fucker!_ " Mari shouted.

"Hold on, I just need a clear shot at the eye!" Shinji said.

Matarael poured more acid down the shaft, and it hit Unit–02's back, and caused Asuka to cry out in pain.

" _AHHHHHHH!_ " Asuka screamed. " _IT BURNS! SHINJI, PLEASE, HURRY!_ "

"Hold on, Asuka… I have the shot!" Shinji shouted. "Eat lead motherfucker!"

" _That's right, puppy!_ " Mari shouted. " _Tell that fucker to die hard!_ "

Unit–01 fired a stream of bullets right into the center of Matarael's eye. The bullets pierced its eye, and blew out his dorsal side, shattering the Core and sending the fragments flying into the air. Matarael dissolve into a pool of blood, flooding the shaft with the blood.

"Asuka!" Shinji said as Unit–01 caught Unit–02. "Mari, talked her and roll up the shaft! We'll get her out of the EVA when we're on the surface!"

" _Right, puppy!_ " Mari replied.

Unit–01 handed down Unit–02, and Unit–XP shot up the shaft on its wheels.

"Rei, get up here before you power runs out." Shinji said.

" _I am on my way, Shinji._ " Rei replied.

"Dr. Akagi, the Angel has been killed." Shinji reported.

" _Good job, Shinji._ " Ritsuko said. " _Good job to you all._ "

"Thank you, Dr. Akagi." Shinji said.

–––

On the surface, Shinji got out of his Entry Plug and ran over to the back of the deformed Unit–02. Mari was struggling with the outer release, and Shinji helped her with the handle. It took them some effort, but they were able to get the Entry Plug to eject itself and drain the LCL. The main hatch opened and Shinji clambered inside. He saw Asuka laying there, semi–conscious.

"Asuka!" Shinji said. "Asuka, are you ok?!"

Asuka stirred slightly, and opened her eyes. "Not really… now I know why you were out cold for three days…" Asuka murmured.

"Does it hurt?" Shinji asked.

"A lot, yeah…" Asuka said. "Do you mind helping me up?"

"Not at all." Shinji wrapped his arm around Asuka and helped her up to the hatch where Mari helped pull Asuka out of the Entry Plug.

Shinji and Mari helped Asuka down from Unit–02 as Unit–00 crawled out of the shaft and kneeled down as it powered down.

Shinji and Mari set Asuka down gently and Shinji sat own next to her and just held her.

"Asuka, thanks for doing that." Shinji said.

"Well, I know you and wundergirl can sympathize with the pain." Asuka muttered. "Not so much four eyes though."

"Well, she will in time." Shinji said.

"Hey, do you know of anywhere we can look at the city?" Asuka asked.

Shinji looked around and recognized the area. The hillside was where Misato showed him the buildings coming out of the ground.

"Yeah, there's a place." Shinji said. "But it's a bit of a walk, as long as you don't mind."

"I can manage." Asuka replied. "Just help me walk. Just don't touch me anywhere inappropriate."

"So, would the waist be a bad place?" Shinji joked.

"That's fine, just no wandering hands." Asuka said.

"I respect women too much to do that, Asuka." Shinji said. "And I wouldn't do that to you, you'd _literally_ kill me."

"Well, without permission, of course I'd kill you." Asuka said.

"Permission?" Shinji asked.

"Huh?" Asuka replied.

"Oh, nothing…" Shinji said. 'I just want to tell her, but I can't… I guess as long as I can be close to her, its ok…' Shinji thought.

Mari and Rei walked over. "Hey, you two ready to go?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, we're going up there." Shinji said, pointing to the hillside.

"Sounds fun." Mari said. "Let's go!"

* * *

December 7, 2015 – NERV HQ

Central Dogma was slowly resorted to a powered state, and Ritsuko looked over at Gendo and Fuyutsuki.

"Sir, we've got power back online to the base, or at least most of it." Ritsuko said. "We're working on restoring the power to the city now."

"Excellent." Gendo said. "And the repairs?"

"The damage to the EVAs is unknown, but they have been secured." Ritsuko reported. "The damage to the shaft and the Cage will require several days to repair. The program on our power up sequence has sent out the false signals, so it should cover us from whoever was prying into us."

"Good." Gendo said. "Get us back in working order, and find Major Katsuragi. I suspect she was trapped in an elevator or somewhere else inaccessible, she would never miss a chance to kill an Angel."

"It's not in her nature." Fuyutsuki said.

"Right away, Commander." Ritsuko replied.

"How is it possible… the first havoc wreaked upon our headquarters wasn't caused by an Angel, but by another member of our species. Just goes to show you preconceived notions can be shot to hell."

"It is ironic, Fuyutsuki." Gendo replied. "That ultimately, the enemy of mankind is mankind itself. It's almost Shakespearean…"

–––

Kaji and Misato had fallen asleep in the elevator, holding hands. Misato want drunk, and she wasn't having any nightmares either. The elevator door opened, and Maya looked inside.

"Aww, how cute." Maya said. "Major? Are you ok?"

Misato stirred and realized what she was doing. "Yeah… I'm fine." Misato said. "Kaji, wake up!"

"Oh… yeah." Kaji mumbled. "Power's on again, eh?"

"Yes, sir." Maya said.

"Good, so we should report why we weren't present during the crisis." Kaji said.

"Did we miss anything, Maya?" Misato asked.

"Not really, just the power and another Angel." Maya said. "The four EVAs were deployed and killed it on battery power. They did wonderfully, Mari included."

"Excellent news!" Kaji said.

"Yeah…" Misato said. "Odd that an Angel would attack when the power was down…"

"It is, Katsuragi." Kaji said. "Or it's just a very odd coincidence."

"I don't believe in coincidences…" Misato grumbled.

"I agree with the Major." Maya said. "It is highly convenient."

'Well, Misato, I agree with you too…' Kaji thought. 'It mean SEELE is trying something… something dangerous…'

–––

The four pilots were lying on the hillside, looking up at the stars and the sliver of the moon that was visible. It was well past midnight, and still quite dark, as the city's power still had yet to be restored.

Off in the distance, Section 2 agents were watching over the pilots, but leaving them alone, as they had had a tough day.

Shinji and Asuka were laying close to each other, with Asuka resting quietly with Shinji holding her hand. Her back still hurt, but she was ignoring it, as she felt fine with Shinji's warm touch. ''Shinji, your hand is so warm… and you were so concerned about me today…' Asuka thought. 'You really are a good friend… or maybe even something more… Do I want you to be something more is the question I need to answer. My mind keeps saying I'm fine being alone, but my heart is screaming to be near you… what should I do?'

Shinji had a slight smile on his face, as he felt Asuka's hand in his. 'I'm too afraid to tell her how I feel…' Shinji thought. 'How do you tell a girl you love her? How do you pour your heart out to someone who may not even like you that way… I don't think I could handle her saying no… she's like the girl in my dreams… a little more crass, but the feeling I have when I'm around her is the feeling I have after dreaming about that girl… I know Asuka is literally the girl of my dreams… but I'm afraid that if I tell her how I feel, I won't be able to be near her anymore, so for right now, I'll keep things the way they are, as it's nice like this. It's not what I want, but I don't want to lose what little I have…'

Mari was on Shinji's other side and glanced over at the pair. 'Awww, it looks like they're becoming closer…' Mari thought. 'Well, Shinji and I are that way, so I'm not sure if he loves her or not… he might, but I'm not sure. The way he acted today certainly points to it, but other than that, he's the same old Shinji.'

Rei was sitting up next to Asuka, looking out over the dark city instead of up at the stars. She was in a semi–fetal position, and was quieter than usual. 'Why must it be so dark?' Rei thought. 'The lights make the city seem so much safer, and yet there is beauty in the darkness. It feels so mysterious, and even though I am near my friends, I feel uneasy… like I'm looking onto the abyss I once knew, that day the first me died, I saw the darkness and came back to the light… I wish for the lights to return again so I may once again come back into the light…'

"You know, it's ironic." Shinji said. "Without the lights and everything in the city, the sky can look so beautiful. I mean, all those stars flickering in the sky, I've never seen so many before in my life."

"It's called light pollution, puppy." Mari replied. "When the city lights are on, the glow masks the fainter stars in the sky. Unless the power is out, or you're far away for a major city, all the stars are hard to see. But you're right, they are beautiful."

"Yeah, but without the lights, it seems so lonely here." Asuka said. "Like everyone disappeared when the power went out. The darkness can be so lonely."

"So what about power." Mari said. "Look up at everything above us, there's plenty of stuff to keep us company."

"Man fears the darkness, and so he scrapes away at the edges of it with fire." Rei said. "We fear the unknown, and the darkness masks everything from us, it is lonely because we cannot see."

As Rei spoke, several sections of the city began to light up randomly until the city was glowing once again.

"There, I feel a lot better now that the lights are coming back on." Asuka said. "So, Rei, you read a lot of philosophy in those books you like so much?"

"Yes, there are many things to be learned from books." Rei said. "One just has to reach out and take the knowledge they seek."

"Well said, blueberry." Mari said.

"So is knowledge what makes humans a special species?" Shinji said. "The ability to write down and collect our knowledge in order to pass it down to those that come after us?"

"Well, puppy, look at you being all deep." Mari said.

"Yeah, with Rei, it's not surprising, but you…" Asuka said. "It's a little shocking, I won't lie about that."

"Well, knowledge does make us unique." Mari said. "But will all the stars out there, we aren't the only intelligent once in the entire universe."

"Do the Angels attack us because we're special… or different even?"

"What are you, stupid or something?" Asuka said. "Weird creatures attack us, and you want to know why?"

"Well, yeah." Shinji said. "What if they want to be friends or something?"

"Puppy, if they wanted to be friends, they wouldn't try to kill us all, and Second Impact probably wouldn't have happened."

"I guess…" Shinji said.

"Shinji, have you pondered this question often?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, I know he have to fight them, but I just wish I knew why they attacked us." Shinji explained. "I just want to know why they want to kill us so badly."

"Well, I'm sure they have their reasons." Mari said.

"Besides, it's not like we can read their minds, so who the hell know what they're thinking." Asuka said.

"Maybe they just want to know what we're thinking." Shinji said. "Maybe all the Angels want is to understand… us."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

As for the songs used in this chapter, I don't own them either, and they're listed below in order of appearance:  
Kiyoko Suizenji – _The 356–Step March_ (1968)

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 62.6% (+0.1%)  
Asuka – 58.7% (+7.9%)  
Mari – 58.6% (+8.2%)  
Rei – 52.3% (+3.8%)

Wow, look at that, a short chapter… sure it's still about 9,000 words, long, but compared to the last like six or seven this is _short_. Wasn't as much stuff to add in here as there was before. Mostly followed the episode for the second and third parts, with the different opening in commemoration of Asuka's birthday. Next chapter is Angel free, and deals with a few things to effectively close out Episode IV and set up the opening for Episode V.

Finally, the first deployment of Unit–XP, and the redeployment of Unit–00. I know it took forever, but I didn't need to have four Evangelion deploying for _every_ battle, did I? So, Mari deploys for the first time, and will be singing her songs every time her Evangelion rolls into battle.

Well, opening on Asuka's birthday didn't seem like such a bad idea, everyone deserves a party. And seeing as Shinji finally admitted he loved Asuka to himself in the last chapter, this party was a way for him to show it.

As for the Angel, it takes up the rest of the chapter. Asuka repays Shinji for what he did at the volcano by taking the acid burns to her back, and Shinji sits next to her like she did for him, you know, because they're good friends now.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	12. Fast Times at Tokyo–3 Junior High

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode IV: The Last Hope

* * *

Chapter 12 – Fast Times at Tokyo–3 Junior High  
January 18, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Nebukawa no Sensei was droning on about life before Second Impact as the class struggled to stay awake, at least until the bell for lunch rang.

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

Hikari stood up and directed the class as she always did. "Rise… Bow… Sit!"

Nebukawa no Sensei left the room, and the class dispersed as Hikari pulled out a stack of papers and began to hand them out. They were the exams from the previous week, which most were dreading the return of, they went to get food before they had to look at them.

Hikari walked around the class and handed everyone their graded papers back. She got to her group of friends last, as Toji, Kensuke, and Rei had returned from the cafeteria. Hikari handed Toji and Kensuke their tests with a grimace. She then handed Shinji, Mari, and Asuka their tests, and finally she gave Rei's back with a smile.

Hikari sat down and looked at Kensuke and Toji.

"Guys, you're smarter than that…" Hikari muttered to the pair.

"Yeah, I'm really not, Hikari." Toji said. "I ain't book smart like you."

"I just didn't study…" Kensuke said.

"Wait, how did you guys do on the test?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, well, got a 79 on the math thing, science was a 70, and that history test was a 74."

"I don't want to talk about it." Kensuke said.

"Did you final?" Mari asked. "It can't be that bad…"

"Well… I got D's…" Kensuke said.

"Jesus, you're not that dumb!" Asuka said. "Pigheaded maybe, but not dumb!"

"For two guys who talk about women so much, your scores on the human reproductive system should be higher." Mari joked. "Guess all that talk doesn't exactly translate into knowledge, does it."

"Hey, any of the stuff I know about wasn't on that dang test!" Toji exclaimed.

"Like you know anything at all…" Asuka muttered.

"I just didn't feel like studying…" Kensuke said. "How did you do?"

"Math 98, science 89, history 81." Mari said. "But I didn't do great on the male side of things… mostly because I don't have a dick and balls."

"Really…" Shinji said. "There are other ways to say that…"

Mari smirked. "But that one is the most fun, puppy."

"Well, ignoring the dickless wonder over here." Asuka said pointing at Mari. "I got 85's on everything. I can at least understand most of the questions now."

"So, the kanji lessons are helping?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, they've really helped." Asuka said. "At least Misato can't bitch that we're fucking it all to hell with our grades." Asuka poked Shinji's chest. "How did you do?" Asuka pointed at Hikari. "How did you do, bestie?"

"Great, I got 90's on everything." Hikari said. "I think my studying paid off."

"Wow, the smarty pants in the room." Toji said. "Nice job Hikari."

"Thanks, Toji…" Hikari said. 'I just wish you knew how I felt about you…' Hikari thought.

"Well, I did fine… I think…" Shinji said. "Math 99, science 80, and history was 80. Good enough for me."

"Oooh, a math whiz over here." Mari joked.

"Jeez, are you disappointed at your grades?" Asuka asked.

"Well, no, I'm just surprised my math score was that high." Shinji said. "I thought I'd fucked up the test."

"Another smarty pants." Toji said. "Wow, I can't imagine your grades if you thought you actually did well."

"But I never think I did well." Shinji said. "That's the issue. It's not like we have lots of time to study, is there…"

"Maybe we should make a study group?" Hikari suggested. "I mean, we hang out together all the time, we may as well just take a day or two before a test to study."

"That sounds fun." Mari said. "I'm game."

"Why not?" Asuka said. "I'd like my grades to improve."

"Well, as long as there's snacks, I'm in." Toji said.

"I could use the help, so I'll do it." Kensuke said.

"I can make snacks if we do it at the apartment." Shinji said.

"You don't have to make snacks alone." Hikari said. "I'll help too!"

"Yeah, and me and the princess will do the dishes." Mari said. "Maybe Laurel and Hardy could help out too!"

"Yay…" Asuka muttered. "Dishes…"

"Thanks Hikari." Shinji said.

"Hey, blueberry, what about you?" Mari said. "You didn't tell us if you want to study with us at all. Do you not like us or something?"

"Oh… I apologize." Rei said. "I was… preoccupied. I would like to join the study group if it is possible."

"It's more than possible, Rei." Hikari said. "You're more than welcome!"

"Why were you preoccupied?" Mari asked. "Did you do bad on your tests?"

"No, I did quite well on my tests…" Rei muttered. "I felt embarrassed by my scores…"

"Really, what did you get?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, let's hear it." Toji said.

"I got perfect scores on all three tests…" Rei said. "I was not very surprised by the grades though…"

The group looked at her in shock.

"Good job, Rei!" Hikari said.

"Yeah, that's great Rei!" Shinji said.

"I guess wundergirl does fit you." Asuka said.

"Wait… you're joining the study group with grades like that?" Mari asked. "Why the hell do you need to study if you're that smart?"

"Yes, I… enjoy everyone's company." Rei said. "And I do not mind going over our schoolwork more. It will probably be more enjoyable than studying alone."

"Oh… blueberry…" Mari said quietly. "That's so sad…"

"You know you can come over to our apartment any time you want to, Rei." Shinji said.

"I know, Shinji." Rei replied. "But I am usually tired from all the testing Dr. Akagi does, that I usually just want to sleep…"

Shinji smiled. "Oh, well as long as you know the offer is open."

"Yeah, take advantage of it wundergirl." Asuka said.

"I will attempt to in the future." Rei said.

"Still, how did you ace the reproductive system test?" Kensuke asked.

"I read a book about it, several books actually." Rei said. "You all know that I've read books on it, or have you forgotten?"

"Well, a lot has been going on." Shinji said. "All these Angels, the constant sync tests involving the EVAs, even more sync tests…"

"Well, Shinji makes a great point." Mari said. "It's hard to remember the minutiae with all the Angels attacking us."

"Well, I hope we have a break from the fighting for a while." Asuka said.

"Really, princess?" Mari asked. "The blood lust gone already?"

"No, I'm just tired." Asuka said. "Having acid dripped on your back doesn't make you feel you great. And I'm not looking forward to the next freaky Angel genotype."

"You are correct, Asuka." Rei said. "None of the Angels have been particularly easy to deal with. They are quite resilient to death, like most living beings."

"Let's just hope they don't get worse." Shinji said.

"Why would you say that out loud?!" Asuka said angrily. "You're going to fucking jinx us with more horrific shit!"

"Sorry…" Shinji muttered.

"It's ok, puppy." Mari said. "You're allowed to be foolish sometimes." Mari patted his shoulder. "If we face anything worse, it's not going to be your fault."

"Well from what you guys have shared, these Angels you've faced have been pretty fucked up." Kensuke said. "Let's see, giant rods of light on a humanoid thing… whips of light on a slug… pretty much a floating particle cannon… basically "Jaws" with more teeth and less brains… the double–mint twins… a leech in lava with arms… oh and let's not forget the giant spider that drools acid out of its eye." Kensuke counted his fingers. "Did I miss any?"

"No, you got that all down pretty well." Mari said. "You really are hard for this stuff aren't you?"

"I wouldn't say that…" Kensuke said.

"No, you are." Mari said. "Your face is pale, so the blood has to be going somewhere… and according to this test in my hand, that's the most likely explanation… you're at full salute talking about this stuff."

"I'm not!" Kensuke said loudly.

"What are you referring to, Mari?" Rei asked. "I do not recall the term "full salute" being on any of the tests."

"Oh, I'm talking about his pocket rocket." Mari said.

"What?" Rei asked. "Are you just putting words together?"

"No, I'm talking about his purple homewrecker… his raging salmon… his throbbing whistle… his custard slinger… his one–eyed trouser snake…"

"Mari… just stop." Shinji said. "Rei, Mari's saying he has an erection from talking about the Angels and Evangelions."

"I don't have one!" Kensuke said pleadingly.

"Does he have some sort of fetish?" Rei asked.

"Wait… you don't get the euphemisms for an erection, but you know what a fetish is?" Asuka asked. "That's… odd…"

"Yes, they are listed in the DSM–5." Rei replied. "There are many perversions that people have, but Evangelions are certainly not that interesting."

"I do not have an erection!" Kensuke shouted, causing the entire class to stare at him.

The group started to laugh at Kensuke's expense as he turned bright red and covered his head with his hands.

"Hey, guys, why don't we stop picking on Kensuke?" Shinji said.

"Sure, puppy, we can stop." Mari said. "And I know I don't say this enough, but you do pack us a great lunch."

"Yeah, thanks, Shinji." Asuka said. "Today's is really good!"

"You're welcome guys." Shinji said happily.

"Wish I had someone to pack a lunch for me…" Toji said.

Hikari looked at him and smiled, but didn't say anything. Shinji saw her and raised an eyebrow at her look, which went unnoticed by everyone else.

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

"Oh great we ran out of time to eat…" Toji said. "Stupid bell…"

"Oh, we have a minute." Hikari said. "Just finish eating, you big lug."

"Awesome, you're the best Hikari!" Toji said happily.

'I know Toji…' Hikari thought. 'You're the best too…' Hikari shook her head and saw Toji had finished moments before Nebukawa no Sensei walked in. "Rise… Bow… Sit!"

–––

Shinji was with Toji and Kensuke at the hospital sitting in Sakura's room. The girls had gone to the apartment instead, as they didn't want to all crowd the room. The boys and Sakura were watching TV and not really chatting, as Sakura was too tired to talk much.

"So, how's Sakura been doing?" Shinji asked.

"I've been better." Sakura said quietly. "Certainly better than I was anyway."

"Well, she's ok. She's still not completely healed from her head injuries yet. And she's having some trouble walking too…" Toji said. "But none of that is your fault, got it pal?"

"Yeah, I know." Shinji said. "But I still feel bad regardless…"

"And that makes you a good person, Shinji Ikari…" Sakura murmured.

"Thanks Sakura." Shinji said.

"Now, I know you've only come a few times since you visited her the last time." Toji said. "But she understands, right sis?" Toji

"Yeah…" Sakura said weakly. "Toji and Kensuke have told me all about the Angels… and all the stuff you do…"

"Really?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, what you did with that volcano was brave…" Sakura said. "And what you did to those twin Angels by dancing sounded really cool too."

"Well, the training for that was tough…" Shinji said. "But it all worked out in the end anyway…"

"Well, it was still funny to see you two dressed like that." Kensuke said.

"Yeah, well, Misato was just being difficult." Shinji said.

"Still, it was funny as hell." Toji said. "You two looked like some kinky married couple."

"Hey, we're not even dating!" Shinji said.

"You should though." Kensuke said. "I mean, I bet she likes you. Girls only yell at you like that when they care or whatever."

"I doubt that…" Shinji said. "She just yells as a matter of course, even if she can be really nice, it's not very consistent… its quite confusing at times…"

"Oh, Shinji…" Sakura said. "Girls act that way around boys when their feelings are confused. You just have to be patient."

"Do you like her, Shinji?" Kensuke asked.

Shinji thought for a moment and thought it best not to say anything about his love for Asuka. "No, we're just friends." Shinji said. "I really don't think like that very much."

Sakura shook her head and Toji sighed.

"Shinji, you really are a kid at times…" Toji began, but something came on the TV that made Sakura and Toji stop talking, and Sakura turned up the volume so they could all hear the intro.

**♪Gomen ne sunao janakute**  
**Yume no naka nara ieru**  
**Shikou kairo wa shooto sunzen**  
**Ima sugu aitai yo**

**nakitaku naru you na moonlight**  
**denwa mo dekinai midnight**  
**datte junjou doushiyou**  
**ha–to wa mangekyou**

**tsuki no hikari ni michibikare**  
**nandomo meguriau**

**seiza no matataki kazoe**  
**uranau koi no yukue**  
**onaji kuni ni umareta no**  
**mirakuru romansu**  
**shinjite–iru no**  
**mirakuru romansu♪**

"What is this?" Shinji asked as the opening finished. "What's Sailor Moon?"

"Only Toji's favorite show." Sakura said. "He's liked it forever, and I watched it with when I was little, and then I liked it too."

"Yeah, it's our brother sister thing." Toji said. "I know watching it cheers her up, and I certainly don't mind re–watching it."

"Is it the skirts, Toji?" Shinji asked. "That seems like the obvious reason…"

"Oddly enough, no… it's more the storyline… it's nice and different. Plenty of action, and some softer stuff as well…" Toji said. "And don't tell anyone. I don't need my image ruined. Kensuke knows not to say anything, plus he likes it too."

"Well, the story is fun…" Kensuke grinned. "And I love the transformation sequences."

Sakura giggled, causing Kensuke to blush. "Oh, Kensuke, you're so funny sometimes."

"Yeah, I bet you do…" Toji said.

"Hey Toji, if I mention anything to Asuka or Mari, they will tease you until you die." Shinji said. "I'm not going to tell anyone, no one deserves that kind of torture."

"I knew you'd understand." Toji said. "Now hush and watch, I like this episode."

As they watched, Shinji was confused, having not seen the show before and had a few questions.

"Wait, why is that one… Saturn I think it said, sacrificing herself?" Shinji asked.

"Her power is to destroy anything, but the downside is it kills her…" Toji said. "Sailor Saturn is my favorite though… shame this happens. But she's always reborn as a baby, which is nice."

"So, now what's happening?" Shinji asked. "How do you transfer power like that?"

"Who knows, but it's cool anyway." Toji said.

"Yeah, I want to be Super Sailor Moon for Halloween when I get out." Sakura said happily.

"Don't worry, sis, I'll get you the costume." Toji said happily. "I promise…"

"You're the best, Toji!" Sakura said happily.

The episode ended, and as the credits rolled, Toji turned to Shinji.

"So, pal, did you like the show?" Toji asked.

"Yeah, it was fun…" Shinji said. "But I'd love to watch it from the beginning."

"Well, I have it on DVD if that helps." Toji said. "If you want to borrow it…"

"It is good, Shinji." Kensuke said.

"I couldn't, if Mari or Asuka saw this…" Shinji said.

"Yeah, field day…" Toji said. "Well, we'll figure something out."

"Yeah, maybe Asuka and Mari won't be so hard on me…" Shinji said. "It is an interesting show… maybe they'd watch it." Shinji said as another episode came on. "Certainly worth giving it a chance anyway."

–––

The girls were sitting in the apartment, and Asuka had grabbed the remote and tuned into her favorite channel waiting for her show to come on.

"Jeez, princes, you'd think the world was ending the way we rushed back here." Mari said.

"Really?" Asuka said. "And miss what I've been waiting for on TV for weeks? Fat chance."

"Asuka what show are you watching, exactly?" Hikari asked.

The opening of the show came on, and Asuka shushed them. "Quiet it's on…"

**♪Hikaru kumo wo tsukinuku Fly Away (Fly Away)**  
**Karada–juu ni hirogaru panorama**  
**Kao wo kerareta chikyuu ga okotte (okotte)**  
**Kazan wo bakuhatsu saseru**  
**Toketa koori no naka ni**  
**Kyouryuu ga itara tamanori shikomitai ne**

**Cha–La head cha–La**  
**Nani ga okite mo kibun wa heno–heno kappa**  
**Cha–La head cha–La**  
**Mune ga pachi–pachi suru hodo**  
**Sawagu Genki–Dama – Sparking!♪**

"Wait… what?" Hikari said. "You actually watch… this? Seriously?"

"Well, yeah." Asuka said. "Plenty of violence, lots of action, and all the attacks and shit, plus the yelling? It's fucking great!"

"Still, it's a guy show isn't it?" Hikari asked.

"Well, it may be marketed towards guys… but I can watch what I like, Hikari." Asuka said. "Just sit and watch, you'll probably like it."

" _Previously on Dragon Ball Z…_ " The TV said.

"Holy shit, this looks cool…" Mari said.

"The story certainly seems intriguing…" Rei said.

"Why is that child fighting?" Hikari asked. "And why is his hair yellow?"

"He's the strongest character this show has to offer." Asuka said. "His name is Gohan, and the hair is because he's Super Saiyan."

"A super… what?" Hikari asked.

"Yes, what is a Super Saiyan?" Rei asked.

"Ok, basically, the Saiyans are a warrior race, and they have this ability to transform into a stronger state." Asuka explained. "Gohan is half–human and half–Saiyan, and he recently transformed, and his dad put him up against that massive douche because Gohan is way stronger. It's hard to explain easily though…"

"Ok… but why is that head talking to Gohan though?" Mari asked.

"I'm not telling…" Asuka said, smirking widely.

"Why is he yelling so loudly?" Rei asked.

"Yeah… he seems kinda pissed, princess…" Mari said. "I mean the ground under him is cracking a lot, and that energy around him is wild…"

"How much spikier can his hair get?" Hikari asked.

"No idea…" Mari said. "But the electrical sparks around him don't look very pleasant, and neither does that look he has on his face… hey! The episode really ends there?"

"Yeah, this show does drag shit out at times…" Asuka said. "But another episode is on after this."

"Well, I believe I would not mind watching it." Rei said.

"Well put, Rei." Mari said. "Hey, Hikari, too much violence for you?"

"Not really…" Hikari said. "They haven't even fought yet…"

"Well, I read the manga, so I know what happens next…" Asuka said. "You'll really like it, I promise."

As the next episode came on, the quartet watched as Gohan decimated the Cell Jr.'s in a fit of rage, shocking Hikari into submission, while Rei and Mari both watched, enjoying the carnage immensely.

"Holy shit…" Mari said. "He kicked it into oblivion! He just ripped through them all like they were _nothing_!"

"Well, that last one was quote vicious…" Rei said. "He kicked it though several rock formations, then killed it with a single kick… Gohan is clearly very angry…"

"Some people you just don't want to piss off." Asuka said.

"I wonder if Shinji is like that…" Hikari said. "He doesn't like fighting either, but somehow, I think deep inside of him is that same fury… like he could take on anything for the right reason…"

"I'd have to agree with you freckles." Mari said. "If Shinji jumping into a volcano is any indication, I wouldn't not want to be the Angel that pisses him off."

"Shinji like Gohan?" Asuka pondered. "Well… he is quiet like Gohan, and kind like Gohan is, and from what he's said he fights for his friends. So him having that angry streak isn't out of the question…" Asuka said.

"Shinji does have that…" Rei said. "I saw part of it against the Fifth Angel. He was mad that it was hurting me, and he fired that shot without the computer. He did that with the skill of someone far more trained then him, he was led by his anger… he did what the computer could not… what the MAGI deemed impossible. I have no doubt that if pushed too far, Shinji would utterly destroy an Angel and die to protect us all… because he is kind and considerate of others… it is his nature."

The other three sat in silence after Rei's remarks, thinking about how right she really was.

* * *

January 21, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

**_♪Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding♪_ **

"Rise… Bow… Sit!" Hikari said forcibly.

It was the end of another long school day. Hikari and Shinji were on cleaning duty that day, and the rest of the class, including Asuka and Mari, left for home. Asuka and Mari promised to make dinner, and that it wouldn't be instant food, leaving Shinji time to do his homework without worry, and to not have to rush to get home from cleaning.

"That was nice of them." Hikari said. "Offering to cook dinner like that."

"Well, I know Mari feels guilty about having me be the only one to cook." Shinji said. "And I know they aren't the best cooks, I mean, the last time they cooked, the kitchen was a disaster, and they ended up with cuts all over their hands. But… the food tasted pretty good, just the mess to clean up was awful…"

Hikari chuckled. "How bad was the mess?"

"Well, the pans were coated with burned goo, and the sink and counters were just covered with food and mess… it was almost comical because to make that kind of mess takes a lot of effort…"

"Well, let's take these buckets to the washroom and dump them, seeing as we're done mopping." Hikari said grabbing a bucket.

Shinji grabbed the other bucket ad they set off to dump the dirty water. As they walked down the stairs, both buckets sloshed a bit much, dripping some water on the stairs, which Hikari slipped on and fell down the stairs to a lump on the floor.

"HIKARI!" Shinji shouted.

Hikari was on the ground, and was a little dazed. The bucket she had had dropped and spilled all over the floor, and Hikari looked unharmed, save for a long cut on her arm. Shinji helped Hikari sit up and checked her for any other cuts.

"Hikari, are you ok?!" Shinji asked worriedly.

"Yeah… I'm tougher than I look." Hikari said. "This isn't so bad. It's just my skirt is all wet and my arm hurts…"

"Well you're bleeding, so that's the pain you're feeling." Shinji said. "Are you sure you're ok Hikari? You fell pretty hard."

"Yeah, just help out of the puddle, then go grab something to dry that up…" Hikari said.

Shinji helped Hikari to her feet and guided her away from the puddle. She sat back down on the ground while Shinji ran back to the class room for some paper towel. When he got back, Shinji handed Hikari a few pieces of paper towel for her cut, to hold against the bleeding, while he set to work on drying up the water. When Shinji finished, he threw the used paper towel into the empty bucket and helped Hikari back to her feet.

"Come on, we're going to the nurse's office." Shinji said "We have to clean out that cut of yours. You don't need an infection."

"What about my skirt… it's soaked." Hikari said.

"We'll figure something out." Shinji said.

When they got to the nurse's office, it was once again empty, so Shinji helped Hikari to a bed to sit on. He saw a space heater in the corner and rolled it over, and also grabbed a fist aid kit and a sheet.

"Hikari, if you put your skirt on this, it'll dry right away." Shinji said.

"Odd considering how it's hot all the time that the nurse has one of these…" Hikari said.

Shinji gave Hikari the sheet and closed the privacy curtain. "Just change out of the skirt, and put it on the heater. I'll clean your cut once you're covered."

"Shinji, you're such a gentleman." Hikari said. "You know how to treat a lady properly."

"I'm just being polite." Shinji said.

"Well, I'm all set." Hikari said.

Shinji opened the curtain and saw Hikari sitting there very red faced, even though she had the sheet covering her legs, she was still embarrassed.

"Hikari?" Shinji asked. "Why are you blushing?"

"It's so embarrassing, not wearing my skirt in front of you…" Hikari said sheepishly.

"Hikari, you're completely covered." Shinji said. "There isn't anything to be embarrassed about either, you are attractive you know."

"At least someone notices that…" Hikari mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked as he opened the first aid kit.

"Not everyone notices what you mentioned." Hikari said as she winced when Shinji applied the antiseptic. "Some people can be really dense."

"Ok, Hikari, who are you talking about." Shinji asked as he wiped Hikari's cut clean.

"Well…" Hikari said. "Remember when I told you I have a secret I've been keeping? And you said I could tell you anything…"

"Yeah, you said you'd eventually tell me." Shinji said. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Well… it's really important, so I want you to promise not to tell a soul." Hikari said.

"Ok, what is it?" Shinji asked.

"Well, the person I like…" Hikari said. "The person I… _love_ … is Toji. He just makes me feel wonderful… I've liked him forever, but the last year or so I've had a lot of thoughts and feelings for him… and whenever he flirts with Misato, I just get so mad and wonder why he doesn't look at me that way…"

"I'm so sorry, Hikari." Shinji said. "But I'm not surprised you like him."

"Wait, you're not shocked?" Hikari asked.

"Well, a little, but it's not completely unexpected." Shinji said. "You've been giving him odd looks for weeks. Especially when he says something dumb."

"But you didn't say anything." Hikari said.

"It's not my place to ruin a big secret like that." Shinji said. "That wouldn't be fair to either of you."

"Well, I gather not." Hikari said. "But, can I ask your advice?"

"I'm not sure what advice I could give, but I'll give it a shot." Shinji said.

"How do you get a boy's attention?" Hikari said. "Do I need to flirt more, or do I need to do something more drastic…"

"Hikari… you don't need to flirt with Toji." Shinji said. "He doesn't really like girls like that, contrary to what he may say…"

"Wait, really?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, he doesn't think highly of over flirtatious girls." Shinji said. "He thinks Mari is ridiculous half the time, flirting with everyone."

"But, how do I get him to like me…" Hikari asked.

"I'm not sure, Hikari." Shinji said. "That's more of a question for his sister. But if you really wanted to try, you could always make him lunch."

"Wait, really?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, just ask him if it's ok." Shinji said. "Tell him… that you make too much food, and always have to throw out the extra food, and you hear him complain about the school food. Something like that."

"That could work…" Hikari said as Shinji bandaged her arm. "I do always make a lot of food…" Hikari smiled at Shinji. "You're a good friend, Shinji. I'm glad I told you… the secret was killing me inside."

"I know the feeling." Shinji muttered.

"What do you mean?" Hikari asked. "What's your secret?"

"Well, I like someone too…" Shinji muttered.

"Oh, it's Mari isn't it?" Hikari said happily. "You two would be _so_ cute together!"

"No, it's not Mari…" Shinji replied. "She's my best friend besides you…"

"It's not me is it?" Hikari asked.

"I just said you were one of my two best friends, Hikari." Shinji said. "And Toji will be a very lucky guy when you get him."

"So, who is it?" Hikari asked.

"Well, until recently, I was having trouble telling myself I didn't like her, but then after jumping in the volcano, I realized that I actually did love her…" Shinji explained. "That from the moment I saw her on the _Over the Rainbow_ , I'd fallen in love with Asuka…"

"Wait… Asuka?" Hikari said. "Love?"

"Yes…" Shinji said sheepishly. "Just don't tell her…"

"Really, why not?" Hikari asked.

"I don't want to lose her friendship if she doesn't like me at all." Shinji said. "I don't want to lose the relationship we have, and risk that…"

"Shinji…" Hikari said. "That's so sad… but I understand. I wouldn't want to lose Toji's friendship either… I would be devastated…" Hikari hugged Shinji tightly. "It's ok, Shinji, I'll keep this a secret, but it must be so hard living with her…"

"Yeah it can be… I always feel so tingly around her." Shinji said. "My heart races, and just being with her makes me feel happy. But I just can't tell her how I fell, which does drive me nuts sometimes…"

"Shinji…" Hikari said. "I didn't know…"

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked.

"That you were going through all this…" Hikari said. "I would've helped you, or at least been there to talk…"

"I know, I was just afraid of anyone knowing…" Shinji said. "I know it was stupid…"

"Not really… it's the same reasons I had for not telling you…" Hikari said as she laughed. "Look at us, talking about who we love, and me without a skirt on…"

"It is kinda funny." Shinji said. "Still, I do like you Hikari, just as a friend though…"

"I feel the same way… and I know things will work out with you and Asuka." Hikari said. "Because you deserve the girl of your dreams."

"And you deserve the boy you've always wanted." Shinji said. "Hey, Hikari, do you like Sailor Moon?"

"Yeah, it's a great show!" Hikari said as she stopped hugging Shinji. "Why?"

"Well, it's something that Toji likes to watch… maybe if you drop a hint or two about liking the show and hoping some guy does too, he might catch a hint. Or pack him a lunch in a Sailor Moon bento."

"Yeah, that would be a good idea…" Hikari said. "You're pretty smart, Shinji. I'm glad I asked you for advice. I don't know what I could tell you about Asuka, she's not the most open person."

"It's ok, Hikari, I know you and Toji will start dating long before I ever get the nerve to ask Asuka out, plus I know it's difficult to get through to her sometimes." Shinji said. "But I like that about her…"

"You're adorable, Shinji." Hikari said. "Asuka would be stupid not to like to like you… and considering she calls you baka all the time, that's kind of ironic."

Shinji blushed. "Thanks…" Shinji looked at her arm. "How does your arm feel?"

"A lot better now." Hikari said. "Why don't we get going? We still have the room to finish, and you don't want to keep Asuka and Mari waiting if they've cooked."

"Yeah, Asuka gets impatient when she has to wait, so we should hurry up." Shinji said. "I'll let you get dressed, your skirt should be dry by now."

As Shinji reached for the curtain, Hikari stopped him. "You don't have to close it, just turn around. I know you're not going to look."

"Whatever you say, Hikari." Shinji said.

* * *

January 23, 2016 – NERV HQ

It was just your typical Sunday. Typical that is if you were an Evangelion pilot. The four children had been brought in to HQ to run some new tests for Ritsuko in the simulation bodies. However, instead of their usual plugsuits, they were to wear something else.

"Absolutely not!" Asuka shouted. "Why can't was just go in there in our standard plugsuit?!"

"Because, Asuka, we need to try and improve everyone's scores, and by analyzing purer data, we can do that." Ritsuko explained. "Shinji will have to wear the exact same ones as you, you know."

"Oh, he doesn't get chest armor in this one does he?!" Asuka ranted. "So, is that supposed to make me feel better?!"

"No, it's just a fact." Ritsuko said. "So whether do it, or I'll pull you from active duty."

"You fucking bitch!" Asuka shouted. "You can't pull me from active duty!"

"Yes I can, Asuka. I can certify you as unfit for duty with a psychological analysis and I'm sure you wouldn't like that very much, would you, Asuka?" Ritsuko said. "It would certainly make all this run smoother if you were gone."

"Fuck you!" Asuka said.

"Hey, Akagi, step it back a bit!" Mari said loudly. "This test was a surprise to all of us, so back off. I know we're on call all the time, but give us little leeway with your little surprise tests, and their stupid attire."

"I don't have to give you anything of the sort." Ritsuko said coldly. "You are pilots and employees of NERV, and you should simply do as I instruct."

"Yeah, well Dr. Akagi, being that cold doesn't exactly make things run smooth." Shinji said. "Maybe try to have a little empathy or something. It goes a long way to better working relationships."

"I do not need advice from a teenager." Ritsuko said. "Now, you have ten minutes to change and get to the entry way to the chamber."

Shinji shook his head while Mari and Asuka glared at Ritsuko. Rei had her head down, and avoided the conversation at all costs.

"Fine, we're going, happy?" Shinji said. "Come on everyone."

As the four of them walked away, Ritsuko looked on angrily. 'Stupid kids… why are they being so mouthy? I liked it better when I only had to deal with Rei. She never talks back or anything. I doubt Gendo's doll could even attempt to refuse an order… such an obedient pet she is. Stupid girl…' Ritsuko thought savagely. 'And I used to like Shinji, but now he's just as rude as the other two. Before those two whores arrived, Shinji was passive, just like Rei… and now he mouths off too… so much insubordination… but I can't do anything about him, or any of them, Gendo always knows, and he needs them for his plans… I can't upset what he wants…'

–––

In the women's locker room, Asuka was kicking the shit out of a locker.

"That fucking bitch, I hate her!" Asuka shouted. "I want to punch her in her stupid, smug, ugly fucking face! And then I'll rip that fucking mole off her lip and shove it up her ass!"

"Ok, princess, you need to relax." Mari said. "Do I need to get the puppy to calm you down?"

"I DON'T NEED SHINJI!" Asuka shouted. "Just get me Akagi so I beat her half to death and stuff her in this locker!"

"Asuka, please relax." Rei said. "This is not helping matters."

"Oh, now she speaks!" Asuka shouted. "Why didn't you say anything to her before?!"

"I do not wish to upset her." Rei said. "I spend far more time with her, and while she has never done anything to me, anyone else who has ever angered her has gotten in trouble of some sort. This is why no one likes her. She is not a kind person, so I wish to stay quiet and just avoid any conflict with her."

"Yeah, she's a fucking cunt." Mari said.

"Cunt still doesn't seem to adequately describe her!" Asuka said. "And Rei, if she ever does anything to you, tell me, and I'll sort her ass out. She'll regret the day she was born."

"Somehow, the way she acts, I think she already does." Mari said. "She's really unhappy about something. Maybe she needs to get fucked or something."

"What fucking moron would fuck her?!" Asuka said. "They'd either have to be really desperate or just completely fucking her over!"

"Oh, the latter option sounds far more plausible than the former." Mari said.

"Can we please get dressed?" Rei said. "I do not wish for Dr. Akagi to become angrier."

"Fine let's put these stupid things on." Asuka said as she stripped. She opened the plugsuit to reveal, well, almost nothing. "What the fuck is this shit?! It's way worse than she described it as!"

"Just put it on." Mari said as she deactivated her own plugsuit. "Just don't wear the bra thingy, it hurts far too much."

"How does it hurt, its padded?" Asuka asked.

"I have sensitive nipples." Mari replied. "Among other things… and this plugsuit is way tighter than the usual ones…"

"I would have to agree." Rei said. "Everything feels uncomfortable, gut without the privacy shield it is far more comfortable."

Asuka shook her head in disbelief and pulled on her own plugsuit. As she activated it, she felt her chest become overly compressed, and deactivated the suit and took out the privacy shield for her breasts. She reactivated the plugsuit and looked in the mirror. The suit was two colors. The outside of her arms, shoulders, neck, and everything from the middle of her pubis down was solid red. The inside of her arms and the palms of her hands, as well as her back, torso, and breasts were all covered in a translucent orange color that showed off what was underneath quite spectacularly. There were two strings of sensors on the front that attached to the legs, and went up the torso just above her breasts. Each sensor was bright green and drew heavy attention to her already exposed areas. There were several more sensors on her back as well, with tow situated right on her ass, and another four resting on the back of her ribcage. The collar around her neck was outlined in blue like her standard plugsuit. There were small antennas on the wrists of the suit as well, and a large microphone and camera jutting out from the neck. The sync clips for the plugsuit were also comically enormous, and had a pod like shape with an additional piece of metal that formed a three sided rectangle that was situated on the front end of the sync slips and covered a large portion of the head.

Asuka looked over at Mari and Rei. They had the same plugsuit on, but in different colors. Rei's was solid white, with translucent white, and Mari's was solid pink with translucent pink. All three of them had every curve and crevice of their bodies on full display, and most embarrassingly, it seemed the plugsuits were designed purposefully for that.

"What the fuck are these sync clips?!" Asuka started her rant. "They're fucking enormous!" Asuka looked at herself in the mirror. "And what the fuck is with this plugsuit?! What fucking pervert designs something that shows off this much skin?! We may as well be fucking naked! Like, I can see the outline of my vagina in this stupid fucking thing, and my ass crack too! It's fucking ridiculous!"

"It's called a cameltoe, princess." Mari said. "And this thing did that to me too."

"What?!" Asuka shouted.

"Cameltoe, when you wear tight clothes and they can see your pussy through them." Mari explained. "And you say you're a genius…"

"I know what a cameltoe is!" Asuka shouted. "But seriously? Our vaginas are on display, and you're joking around!"

"I am so glad I shaved this morning though…" Mari joked. "Otherwise this plugsuit would not look as clean cut as it does now."

"Really? This is not the time, four eyes!" Asuka shouted. " And I don't need to know you're grooming habits are either!"

"Well, I'm not the only one who shaves apparently." Mari said. "It looks as if we all do."

"MARI!" Asuka shouted. "This is not the time!"

"When is the time, princess?" Mari said calmly. "I mean we have to out there like this. I'd like to point some of this out before we do."

"We can't go out there!" Asuka said angrily. "Not like this! Shinji will see me!"

"Really, is that such a bad thing?" Mari said. "I doubt he'll even look, he's too nice for that. Oh man… he's dressed the same as us…" Mari chuckled. "Poor kid…"

"I don't want to go out there!" Asuka protested.

"We do not have a choice, Asuka." Rei said. "I know you will not give up piloting the EVA, so just follow us out to the test area."

"Fine, but I'm doing this under duress!" Asuka said angrily.

–––

The girls traipsed out to see Shinji standing there waiting. He was dressed in the same exactly plugsuit as them. It was solid blue with a translucent pale blue color, and his body was outlined just as explicitly as the girl's bodies were.

"Well, Shinji, you're packing some serious heat!" Mari said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Mari, not now…" Shinji said as he kept his eyes squeezed shut. "I'm not looking at you guys, so just keep your eyes to yourself."

"Shinji, you don't have anything to be ashamed about." Mari said. "I mean, unless you think it's too big…"

"Four eyes, leave him alone!" Asuka said angrily. "He's not looking at us, so just stop!"

"Fine, I'll stop looking at his package." Mari said. "But he still has a great ass… in face, so do you princess. Yours is really cute."

"Pervert!" Asuka shouted.

"Mari, stop…" Shinji muttered tiredly.

"Fine, ya prudes." Mari said. "And blueberry, you're not so bad yourself. You're very cute. You have an even better ass than princess."

"…thank you?" Rei said.

"You're welcome, blueberry." Mari said. "At least someone in this room can take a damn compliment…"

" _If you four are done arguing about who looks the cutest, can we begin the tests?_ " Ritsuko said over the intercom.

"Yeah, whatever!" Asuka said angrily. "The sooner I can put on clothes that cover me the better. You wouldn't want to see me angry, would you?"

"Asuka, just stop." Shinji said. "And can you help me to my entrance, I can't really see that well."

"Baka, you can open your eyes…" Asuka said as she looked down at her exposed breasts. "Just don't… uh… turn around."

"I'll just keep my eyes shut, it's just easier." Shinji said.

"Fine, I'll help you." Asuka said as she gently grabbed his shoulder and led him his a door. "Thanks for not taking advantage and looking."

"Hey, I know how embarrassing this is for me, so I can't imagine how you three feel about this." Shinji said. "I just didn't want you to think I was a pervert again."

"No, Shinji, it would take a lot for me to consider you a pervert." Asuka said. "You have Mari to complete against for that prize."

"You're right." Shinji joked. "It's hard to complete with her on that."

"I'm always right, Shinji, haven't you figured that out yet?" Asuka said proudly. "I just wish they'd give us our other plugsuits to wear instead." Asuka explained. "I like those way better. It shows off so much less. Like my regular plugsuit makes me look sexy, but this just makes me look… stupid…"

"I know, Asuka." Shinji said. "But I'm sure you still look nice."

"Huh?" Asuka said. "What are you saying?"

"Nothing." Shinji lied. "Just that you always look well put together."

"Well, careful with your compliments, baka." Asuka joked. "Otherwise I'll think you'd have peeked."

"I didn't Asuka." Shinji said. 'But it would be worth it…' Shinji thought.

"And you're a real gentleman for not taking advantage like some pervert." Asuka said. "Now get in there so we can get these stupid tests over with."

"Alright, Asuka…" Shinji said as Asuka gently pushed him towards his Simulation EVA.

Mari looked over at Asuka and Shinji and sighed. 'Boy, Shinji needs to stop being so skittish around boobs…' Mari thought. 'Maybe I can help him out with that later… I know I certainly want him to get a peek under my hood, seeing as Asuka's not making a move… I will.' Mari smiled devilishly as she entered her Simulation EVA.

* * *

January 24, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

It was early on Sunday morning, and Asuka was fast asleep. After wearing such ridiculous outfits for over five hours, Mari was less tired and more restless. After having seen everyone in those ridiculous test plugsuits, Mari was curious about something and also wanted to try and set Shinji straight on a few things before she went to sleep. So she crept quietly from her own room, moving carefully as to not wake Asuka, and moving silently to Shinji's room. When she went inside, he wasn't there. It was past midnight, and seeing as they had only gotten back a few hours before. So Mari waited impatiently for Shinji to come back from the bathroom.

"Jeez, what are you doing?" Mari muttered as she sat waiting for him.

Shinji opened the door to his room covered in nothing but a towel. When he turned on the light to his room he was shocked to see Mari sitting there. So shocked in fact, he let go of his towel and it dropped to the floor.

"Mari… what?!" Shinji stammered.

"Heya, puppy." Mari replied. "I'm gathering you're surprised to see me."

"What are you doing… why are you in here?" Shinji said. "Were you waiting for me?"

"Yep, only a few minutes though." Mari said happily as she stood up. "So, remember earlier when you had your eyes closed?"

"With the perverted plugsuits?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, with those, puppy." Mari said. "It got me really curious about how you looked, so I was waiting for you to come back…"

"Well, I'm back…" Shinji said, giving her a confused stare.

"Yes, yes you are." Mari said. "And that plug suit didn't really hide anything, did it?"

"What?" Shinji said.

"That plugsuit, it really didn't leave anything to the imagination… it showed everything off… and I was disappointed you didn't even peek at me…"

"Why?" Shinji asked nervously.

"Because I want you to look at me, puppy. I want you to see me like this…" Mari slid off her shorts and panties and pulled off her shirt and stood proudly in front of Shinji. "I'd ask if you like what you're seeing, but it seems redundant when the pressure in the barometer I rising."

"Wha…" Shinji muttered until he looked down and covered himself with his hands. "Mari, why are you doing this? It's really embarrassing…"

"You're so cute, just realizing you're naked in front of me, with half a chubby…" Mari said as she walked closer to him. "And I'm doing this because I like you, puppy."

"Mari, can you please stop." Shinji said.

"Sure, puppy." Mari said. "I wouldn't ever want to force you…"

"Mari, why do you like me?" Shinji asked nervous as he reached for his towel.

"Because you're so nice to me all the time." Mari said. "That's what turns me on, and you're the only guy I've felt that around… you make me feel really beautiful, Shinji."

"Oh no…" Shinji muttered.

"Is something wrong with my body?" Mari asked. "Do I have a hair somewhere it shouldn't be? Are my boobs lopsided? Is there a zit?"

"It's not that…" Shinji muttered as he wrapped his towel around himself. "You're beautiful, Mari… but… I don't think of you that way…"

"Really?" Mari asked sadly. "I thought you did… all the cuddling…"

"I didn't mean to lead you on, Mari… you have to believe me… I mean, I like the cuddling, but I just thought that's what good friends do…" Shinji said sadly. "But I like… someone else… I'm sorry… I'm really sorry, Mari…"

"Oh…" Mari muttered. "I'm sorry for this, Shinji… I'll go now…"

"Mari, don't go…" Shinji said. "And please don't cry…"

"I'm not going to cry…" Mari said looking at him with tears in her eyes. "I'm not upset… I promise…"

"Mari…" Shinji walked forward and pulled Mari into kiss. Mari's sadness turned into shock, and then she relaxed and kissed him back. When they pulled back from the long kiss, Shinji pulled her into an awkward hug.

"Shinji, what was that?" Mari asked.

"How does it feel to be kissed to stop you from freaking out?" Shinji asked.

"Well, I won't deny it's nice… but I'm getting mixed signals, from a few places…" Mari said nuzzling his neck. "But like I said, it was nice…"

Shinji smiled then frowned. "I'm really sorry, Mari, I didn't want to make you cry. I just didn't realize you liked me that much… I thought you said you only had a crush?"

"I did… but then it became more… after you jumped in that volcano, I thought about you being the best boyfriend ever…" Mari said. "So, who stole you heart, puppy?"

"Well, I fell in love with Asuka…" Shinji said.

"Really, princess?" Mari asked. "That's a shock…"

"I know, but I can't help it…" Shinji said.

"No, not that… the fact you admitted it." Mari said.

"Wait… what?" Shinji asked.

"I had a feeling you liked her…" Mari replied. "I just wanted to find out the truth… I wasn't expecting a kiss or all the nudity however… but I decided to just roll with it."

"Wait, so why did you get naked?" Shinji asked.

"To throw you off, puppy." Mari said. "Don't get confused… I do like you a lot, and I know we only ever had friendly cuddles, that why I'm the big spoon… if it were the other way round as friends, it would be awkward. But the last few months, you've been different, ever since Asuka arrived…"

"So you did all this to trick me?" Shinji asked. "Why not just ask me?"

"Where's the fun in that puppy." Mari said. "If I had simply asked, I wouldn't have gotten to see you in your birthday suit, or that pleasant little kiss either."

"Mari, you are such a pervert." Shinji said.

"I know, and I don't care either." Mari said. "It's not like I peeked at you when you were asleep. You dropped the towel…"

"Yeah, out of shock." Shinji said. "But it doesn't matter…"

"Why not?" Mari said. "You've seen me and Rei naked. You should be happy to have seen so many sexy girls nude."

"It's not that, it's just… Asuka…" Shinji muttered.

"What do you mean?" Mari asked. "You like Asuka. Seeing me naked doesn't make much of a difference."

"How do you know?" Shinji asked.

"Because, we didn't do anything." Mari said. "Unless you want to…"

"Mari, not the time." Shinji said.

"I don't know, I think it is the time." Mari said. "We are both naked after all."

"Mari!" Shinji said.

"I'm kidding, relax…" Mari said kissing him on the cheek and stepping back from their hug. "Your innocence belongs to Asuka if she'll have you."

"Yeah, but I can't tell her… she'll hate me!" Shinji said. "I don't want to risk her friendship. I don't want to lose her when I try to get her to be closer to me…"

"Oh, Shinji…" Mari said. "Why don't we both get dressed, and talk a bit. Maybe while cuddling?"

"Sure, Mari." Shinji said. "I know how much you enjoy cuddling."

"Hey, you like it too, puppy." Mari said as she pulled on her panties. Shinji went and grabbed his clothes, and put them on, Mari then pulled something out of her pocket. "Here, Shinji, I want you to have this."

"What is it?" Shinji asked as he pulled on his underwear.

"It's a song." Mari said. "I know how much you like music, so I figured I'd give you this, for your first time."

"What?" Shinji asked.

"Look, sometimes people get nervous and need something to set the mood." Mari explained. "This will take care of that."

"Thanks, Mari." Shinji said. "You really are the best friend a person could ask for."

"I know, you're a lucky guy, Shinji." Mari said as she pulled her shirt on and went over to the half–dressed Shinji. "And I'm lucky to have such a good friend."

Shinji put on his shirt and they walked over to his bed. "I hope we don't make a habit of this." Shinji said. "I don't want Asuka to get the wrong idea."

"She won't." Mari said as they cuddled up to each other. "But I do have one question, and one question only. Why her of all people?"

"Well, it's kinda dumb…" Shinji said.

"Well, spill." Mari said. "You know I won't make fun of you for this."

"Well… I have this dream every so often of this beautiful girl who likes me… she has bright red hair, but I can't see her face, and all I feel when I'm in that dream is pure happiness… I know it's dumb, but I've had that dream since I was kid… my one friend was always in my dreams… and I feel that same way around Asuka. I don't know how to explain it, but I think she's just… the one. I just love her unconditionally…"

"Awww, Shinji, that's so sweet." Mari said.

"Well, what about you, Mari." Shinji asked. "Are you still in love with me?"

"Yes and no." Mari said. "I still love someone else too… but she's long gone, died in an accident when we were younger."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Shinji said. "Were you two dating?"

"No, but apparently she did love me, but I was too late with telling her how I felt, and she was with someone else…" Mari explained.

"I'm sorry Mari." Shinji said. "I know you'll find someone."

"Well, I kind of already have…" Mari said. "You'll find it odd, but Rei reminds me of her… like a little copy of her, but Rei isn't really tuned into sexual stuff is she?"

"No, not really." Shinji said. "I don't think she was raised like that. She was kind of isolated and alone when we became friends, and was always so formal… I'm just glad that's changing. She smiles more now than she ever did before."

"So, you think I have a shot with her?" Mari asked. "I'd like to think I have a shot, but I don't want to push her away…"

"Well, maybe." Shinji said. "But I thought you didn't want people to know you were… what was it again?"

"Oh, omnisexual…" Mari said. "Silly puppy, at least you know to ask. And no, I don't care anymore. Hikari doesn't care, and you don't care, so I really could give a shit what anyone else thinks."

"Good for you, Mari." Shinji said. "I really hope it works out for you. I think Rei is a bit like you, if you're kind to her, she may fall for you. Who knows, she could already like you."

"I hope it works out too, I'm just not sure how to approach her." Mari said.

"Well, just try being her friend, and see if anything develops." Shinji said. "I don't know if that will work with Asuka, but it might work better with Rei, she's far more receptive to things than Asuka."

"Hey, Asuka would be retarded not to like you back." Mari said. "Just give it time, she'll see how much you like her, I know she will."

"Thanks, Mari… but can we get some sleep? We do have school tomorrow." Shinji said.

"Alrighty, puppy." Mari said, kissing his cheek. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mari." Shinji said.

As Mari lay there, she listened to Shinji heartbeat and snuggled against him. 'So, Shinji remembers the red haired girl from his past. But he doesn't know that girl _is_ Asuka.' Mari thought. 'I wonder if Asuka has the same dream about him, or at least the same feeling about him like that…' Mari started to fall asleep. 'I just hope they both remember soon, they both deserve happiness so much…'

* * *

February 9, 2016 – Tokyo–3, Old Hakone Quarter

Mari had decided instead of returning home, she would go see if Rei was alright. After their sync tests, Rei had left rather quickly and hadn't said a word, which worried Mari a great deal. So, Mari asked Shinji where Rei lived, and told him to just go home and relax. So, Mari got dressed and set straight off to the outskirts of town where Rei lived.

"I hope blueberry is ok, she didn't look great when she rushed out of the locker room." Mari said to herself. "Let's see, this is the right street…"

When she arrived and saw the buildings all around her, Mari was appalled by their appearance. "Really, she lives in this dump?" Mari scoffed. "NERV can't afford something better? Jesus Christ, Gendo, be less of a dick…"

Mari walked inside and knocked on rang the doorbell, which turned out to be broken.

"Piece of shit…" Mari said as she reached for the handle, the door opened with Rei wearing a long white shirt and rubbing her eyes. "Hey blueberry, everything ok?"

"No. I am tired from today, and I am not feeling well." Rei replied. "But I am surprised to see you here."

"Well, I wanted to see if you were ok. You left in a hurry." Mari said.

"As I said, I was not feeling well." Rei said weakly. "I just wish to get some sleep."

"Do you mind if I at least get you into bed?" Mari asked. "You know, tuck you in and everything, and make sure you're alright?"

"No, I would not mind that at all." Rei said. "That would be very kind of you, Mari."

Mari followed the girl inside and saw how dirty the place was. She looked around in anger and shock at the conditions and how awful they were. Dirt and grime everywhere, and everything looked extremely old, like pre–Second Impact old.

"Rei, why do you live here?" Mari asked. "Wouldn't you rather live somewhere nicer?"

"I live here because I am ordered to by the Commander." Rei said. "This is the location he chose for me to live."

"Would you move if given the chance?" Mari asked.

"I do not know." Rei said. "I do not like living alone anymore, but I do not have a choice, I must do as I am told."

"Why?" Mari asked as she helped the weakened Rei into bed. "Why can't you have a choice in where you live?"

"That is not my purpose." Rei said. "My purpose is to pilot the EVA, I cannot change things that are out of my control."

"What if someone changed them for you?" Mari asked as she sat down on Rei's bed. "If you could, would you move in with me, the puppy, and the princess?"

"If it were possible I would, but I doubt it is." Rei said. "It would be nice to be around people that make me feel wanted."

"What do you mean?" Mari asked. "Don't you feel wanted all the time?"

"No, I do not." Rei said. "When I am at NERV with Dr. Akagi, I feel quite alone, but being around you, Shinji, and Asuka makes me feel happy, like I belong somewhere. Even Toji and Kensuke make me feel welcome now, and Hikari has always treated me nicely. I do not like being alone, but I do not have any other choice."

"Of course you have a choice, ask the Commander to move." Mari said.

"I cannot." Rei said. "It is not a choice that I can make."

"Well, I'll figure something out for you, Rei." Mari said. "I'll see what I can do."

"I do not see how you can assist, but I appreciate it all the same." Rei said.

Mari stood up and tucked Rei in snugly. "There you are, Rei." Mari said. "Maybe when you're feeling better, we can go get you some new sheets."

"That would be very kind of you, Mari." Rei said.

"Do you want me to stay?" Mari asked. "I don't have to go yet."

"No, I will be fine, Mari." Rei said. "You do not need to worry."

"Well, I'll worry anyway." Mari said as she hugged Rei gently. "Now feel better, I want to see you at school tomorrow, otherwise I'll come back here and care your ass back to health."

"Mari, as always, you articulate your thoughts so colorfully." Rei said. "I promise I will be in school tomorrow."

"I'm glad." Mari said. "Goodnight now, blueberry."

"Goodnight, Mari." Rei said as Mari left.

–––

Mari stormed in to Fuyutsuki's office without knocking. She slammed the door behind her and walked right up to his desk.

"What the fuck?!" Mari said angrily.

"Hello, pilot Makinami… what can I do for you?" Fuyutsuki asked confusedly as he flipped a switch under his desk.

"Rei!" Mari said. "Why is she living in a literal shithole?"

"Mari… I need you to calm down before we talk." Fuyutsuki said.

"I will not calm down!" Mari shouted.

"You need to, Mari." Fuyutsuki said. "You do realize you're an adult, don't you? You're supposed to be 34 this year…"

"No, I'm going to be 17 this year!" Mari shouted. "I was inside of a Core, remember?!"

"Either way, Mari, I need you to act your age." Fuyutsuki said. "Now please articulate the problem at hand so I can attempt to solve it, without any yelling or cursing if at all possible. And please take a seat."

"You're acting like such a teacher." Mari said as she sat down.

"Well, for all intents and purposes, I am your teacher." Fuyutsuki said. "Now… tell me all about the problem, all I caught was it was about Rei."

"You bet your ass it's about her." Mari said. "She's living in a dump! I went there to see how she was doing, and saw that awful disaster she calls an apartment!"

"I am aware of Rei's living arrangements, Mari." Fuyutsuki said.

"Well, are you going to do anything about them?" Mari asked.

"Unfortunately I cannot." Fuyutsuki said.

"Why the hell not?!" Mari shouted.

"Ikari will not allow it." Fuyutsuki said. "It is as simple as that."

"Why must she be isolated?" Mari said. "Why does she have to be alone?!"

"Because that is what Ikari wants, and what he wants, he gets." Fuyutsuki said.

"Ikari is not his name!" Mari shouted. "He took that from Yui! He's Gendo Rokubungi!"

"I am aware of what his birth name was. But when he married Yui, he took her name as a sign of affection and total devotion to her."

"Fine, he loved Yui! Big deal!" Mari shouted. "So why is he isolating Rei?"

"The Commander is keeping Rei alone for his own reasons. What they are, I'm not quite sure of." Fuyutsuki said.

"Well, maybe it has something to do that she looks like Yui!" Mari said.

"It may have something to do with that, but it is purely coincidental." Fuyutsuki said.

"Bullshit." Mari said. "She's has a lot of Yui's mannerisms, and I mean, her eyes look just like Yui's, besides the fact they're crimson, they're her Yui's eyes!"

"I cannot explain any of that to you, Mari." Fuyutsuki said. "I have no reasonable explanation for why Rei looks or acts the way she does."

"Fine, but can't she like stay with me and Asuka and Shinji?" Mari asked.

"No, you cannot interfere, Mari." Fuyutsuki said. "It's in your best interests to leave this alone."

"Why the hell should I?" Mari said.

"Because the Commander will leave you at the mercy of Dr. Akagi." Fuyutsuki said. "He hates you deeply because Yui was in love with you. You must not cross him."

"What…?" Mari said. "Yui was in love… with me?"

"Yes, Gendo read that in her diaries after she died." Fuyutsuki explained. "She said she wished she could love two people, even if they couldn't get along. She loved you, and that love is what I used to get you moved into the Major's apartment. I don't want to press that too much, and you interfering with Rei would do that."

"Seriously? You leveraged Yui's love for me to let me move into an apartment?" Mari asked.

"Of course, he didn't want you anywhere near Shinji and Asuka. For some reason he cares about Asuka too…" Fuyutsuki said.

"Yeah, him and Kyoko banged, I know." Mari said. "So he dislikes me and doesn't want me around anyone he's coolly fond of?"

"Precisely." Fuyutsuki said. "So please, leave Rei alone, and just be her friend." Fuyutsuki smiled. 'Well, Rei is a lot like Yui, maybe Mari can have a second chance.' He thought.

"Yeah, I can keep doing that." Mari said.

"Mari… I know that Rei isn't Yui, but, you say they are both so similar, why not try to fall in love with her? It sounds like destiny or fate have given you a second chance at love. Don't squander it, Mari."

"You're right, professor…" Mari said. "I won't cross, Gendo, he may be the biggest asshole in the fucking world, but I won't squander a second chance at life or love."

"Good, now the next time you want to talk, try knocking first." Fuyutsuki said. "And always remember to keep your knowledge safe."

'Yeah, the disc you gave me… jeez, subtle much?' Mari thought. "Oh… sure." Mari said. "I'll keep my knowledge safe."

"Well, then pilot Makinami." Fuyutsuki said as he flipped the switch under his desk. "Your complaint has been lodged appropriately, and I will review it and send you a written response."

Mari rolled her eyes, realizing they were being listening in on now. "Yeah, thanks for your help Sub–Commander, and I apologize for my earlier outburst."

"Considering your complaint, it is well understood why you were upset." Fuyutsuki said. "You are dismissed, pilot Makinami."

"Thank you, sir." Mari said as she winked and left Fuyutsuki's office.

* * *

February 12, 2016 – Tokyo–3 Junior High School, Class 2–A

Asuka and Hikari were sitting alone in the classroom. They rest of the class had left for the day, and Asuka was helping Hikari clean the classroom. They had finished, but Hikari decided to take the opportunity to chat with Asuka about something that had been bugging her for a few weeks… Shinji.

'I know I promised Shinji not to say anything, but maybe if I just prod her a little bit, maybe I can figure something out…' Hikari thought. "Hey, Asuka, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Asuka said as she collected the chalk and put it away.

"What would you do if you liked someone?" Hikari asked.

"Have my head examined." Asuka replied. "I'm not really interested in dating any children in this classroom, Hikari."

"Why not?" Hikari asked.

"They aren't mature enough for me." Asuka explained. "I want someone who will be mature and kind to me."

"There is someone like hat in this class, Asuka." Hikari said.

"Who?" Asuka asked.

"Really, Asuka, you live with him."

"What, Shinji?" Asuka said. "He's not my type, and he's not mature at all."

"Yeah, ok." Hikari said. "He cooks your lunch, cleans the apartment and wakes you up for school, and he's not mature enough."

"No, not that, I just don't see him that way…" Asuka said as she hid her face from Hikari. 'Jesus fucking Christ, how does she know I'm might having feeling for the little dummkopf?' Asuka thought. 'Just gotta stay cool, Asuka, she doesn't know anything…'

"Yeah, well, I'd bet he'd jump at the chance to go out with you." Hikari said.

"Unlikely, Hikari." Asuka said. "I still think him and four eyes are dating, even if it is secretly, no matter how much they deny it."

"Asuka, they aren't dating." Hikari said. "They're just really friendly with each other. They are best friends after all, of course they're close."

"Well, a few weeks ago, I caught them in the same bed together!" Asuka said angrily. "And the night I moved in they did the same thing."

"So what?" Hikari asked. "That's just Mari being herself. She and him cuddled the first day they met."

"What?!" Asuka shouted. "The first day?"

"Yeah… I guess they didn't mention it…" Hikari said. "Anyway, essentially, Mari didn't want to be alone, and Shinji was being nice, so they cuddled with Mari behind him."

"Doesn't that prove the point they're dating?" Asuka asked.

"No, not if you understood that their friendship is a very close one." Hikari said. "They understand each other, and it's how he can tell her to stop teasing you or someone else and she'll do it, and she can him to laugh at things that f the rest of us said would earn us a stern glare. You two are close, aren't you?"

"Not as close as them." Asuka said.

"Come on, Asuka, you live together, you must like him a little bit." Hikari asked.

"As a friend, but nothing more." Asuka said. "He's just a boy, and I want a man."

"Asuka, he kills Angels, just like you do." Hikari said. "He's pretty manly in that respect, unless you're lying to yourself about it."

"I'm not lying, I don't like Shinji that way!" Asuka said.

"Then why are you being so defensive and why are you so flushed?" Hikari asked. "You've been weird around him since the… what was the volcano one again?"

"The Eighth Angel…"

"Yeah, you've been weird since that one." Hikari said. "You look at Shinji the same way I look at Toji."

"And how do you look at Toji?" Asuka asked.

"I really like Toji, Asuka." Hikari said. "I've known it for a long time, and I know the look you have because it's the same one I have!"

"I don't like Shinji!" Asuka said emphatically.

"Not even a little bit?" Hikari asked. "I find that hard to believe, Asuka. The hardest part about admitting you like someone is setting it straight in your own head about what you feel. If you can't do that, then you'll never be able to feel love for anyone."

"What…" Asuka said.

"If you can't admit your feelings to yourself, it will be impossible for you to find love." Hikari said. "That's just a fact, Asuka, I can see that you like Shinji, but you can't admit it to yourself, and until you do, you won't be able to act on your feelings."

Asuka shook her head. "I don't like him… at least I'm not sure if I do… I don't know, ok?! Just leave it alone!"

"Asuka, I just want to help…" Hikari said.

"Yeah, well…" Asuka started. "Wait, you like _Toji_?!"

"Yeah, I do, and he doesn't know." Hikari said. "And fro now in keeping it that way, it's just easier."

"Well I guess you know what you're talking about at least…" Asuka muttered. "If you can admit you like Toji of all people, then… I should…"

"Oh, Asuka…" Hikari hugged her best friend tightly. "Look, if you ever want to talk, just ask, ok? I don't mind, this is what best friends are for."

"You really want me to like him, don't you?" Asuka asked.

"I think you two would be cute together." Hikari said happily. "Is that such a bad thing?"

"I'm not cute, Hikari." Asuka joked. "I'm fucking adorable."

"That's the Asuka I know." Hikari said. "See, you're ok."

"Yeah, of course I am, I'm Asuka Langley Soryu!" Asuka said proudly. 'But is Hikari right, do I like Shinji, or is it more than that? If she sees that I like him, then it must be true… but why do I even like him, I know I'm perfectly fine being alone… or am I?' Asuka took a deep breath as Hikari hugged her tighter. 'I blame Shinji for all my mixed up feelings! If he weren't here, I wouldn't have to feel this way…'

* * *

February 14, 2016 – Comfort 17 Apartments

It was very late. Asuka was staring angrily at her ceiling, still thinking of the conversation she had had with Hikari a few days before, and Hikari's conclusions about Asuka liking Shinji, and the effects of her smuttiness being visible for people to see were weighing heavily on her mind. She had been fighting between two theories, whether Hikari was right, and Asuka does indeed like Shinji, or the theory that Hikari is fucking insane.

'Damn it Hikari… why did you have to make me think about all this shit!' Asuka thought angrily. She looked over to see Mari snoring quietly and drooling onto her pillow. 'First I can't sleep with the lumberjack next to me, and now even when I do sleep, my dreams are filled with Shinji and Mari being together and me just watching them! Why does his being with Mari offend me so much?!'

Mari started to mumble in her sleep about something, and her face broke into a large grin. "No, no, that doesn't go there silly…" Mari said. "Yeah that's a better place…"

Asuka slammed her head on her pillow. 'Great, now she's having a fucking sex dream again… how is anyone as horny as she is? That's like the third one this week…' Asuka thought as she turned to see Mari's face as giggling quietly in her sleep. 'Bitch…'

Asuka turned away from Mari and tried to ignore her as she moaned softly. 'She's probably dreaming about Shinji, but why does that make me so mad? I can't like him, he's not someone I could see myself with… but I must like him because I can't get him off my mind… then there was the morning of the rematch with the Seventh Angel… I woke up with myself wrapped all around him, and I'd slept so wonderfully that night… but I didn't mean for that to happen…'

Asuka huffed deeply and pulled her covers over her head. 'I just want to find out what I feel about Shinji… from what Hikari said, if I can't admit something to myself, I can never feel anything for another person… and if I really like Shinji, do I really need him when I know I'm fine on my own?' Asuka closed her eyes. 'But I don't really like being alone, do I? I hate it, I've felt alone since the day my mother died… I felt alone until Kaji came to my rescue… maybe I fell in love with Kaji because he rescued me from my father… and then I felt alone again until that night with Shinji… where he came to see if I was ok and when he made me feel better by making sure I was ok after hurting my knee. He really cares about me… but does he like me?'

Asuka sat up and looked at Mari. 'Well it doesn't matter if he likes me or not… the question I have to answer is do I like him… and I'm still not sure…'

Asuka got up and silently crept out of her room and went to Shinji's room. She slid open his door as quietly as possible and saw him lying there with his SDAT in his ears. Asuka went over and sat on the edge of his bed, careful not to disturb him.

"Hey Shinji…" Asuka whispered. "I uh, just wanted to see you…" Asuka looked at the SDAT to see it was still playing. "I can't believe you listen to this thing in bed… baka…"

"So, I'm having some trouble with something…" Asuka said as quietly as possible. "I don't know if I like you or not… I want to because you make me feel happy… but on the other side, I don't want to feel beholden to anyone, even you… I'm just not sure, and I thought coming to look at you and maybe just talking to you like this might help me, and I feel just as confused as I did when I walked in here… so, do you like me, baka? If I asked you out, would you ever consider going out with me? I'd kill you if you said no… but I don't want to risk you saying no because of how I've treated you… I just don't want to…" Asuka shook her head. "No, not saying it out loud… sorry baka…"

Asuka looked at him and the SDAT again. "What could you be listening to as you sleep to make you look so peaceful…" Asuka carefully removed the earphones and them in as the track was changing…

**♪Your subtleties**  
**They strangle me**  
**I can't explain myself at all**  
**And all that wants**  
**And all that needs**  
**All I don't want to need at all**

**The walls start breathing**  
**My mind's un–weaving**  
**Maybe it's best you leave me alone**  
**A weight is lifted**  
**On this evening**  
**I give the final blow**

**When darkness turns to light**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight**

**A falling star**  
**Least I fall alone**  
**I can't explain what you can't explain**  
**You're finding things that you didn't know**  
**I look at you with such disdain**

**The walls start breathing**  
**My mind's un–weaving**  
**Maybe it's best you leave me alone**  
**A weight is lifted**  
**On this evening**  
**I give the final blow**

**When darkness turns to light**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight**  
**Just a little insight will make this right**  
**It's too late to fight**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight**

**Now I'm on my own side**  
**It's better than being on your side**  
**It's my fault when you're blind**  
**It's better that I see it through your eyes**

**All these thoughts locked inside**  
**Now you're the first to know**

**When darkness turns to light**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight**  
**Just a little insight will make this right**  
**It's too late to fight**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight**

**When darkness turns to light**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight**  
**Just a little insight will make this right**  
**It's too late to fight**  
**It ends tonight**  
**It ends tonight♪**

As the song finished, Asuka put the earphones back in Shinji's ears. "So, that answers a few things for me, baka." Asuka said. "I think I do like you… a lot… but I'm not good with expressing my feelings… so dot expect me to repeat this to you, I won't be able to bring myself to do it… hell I feel sick right now telling you while you're asleep."

Asuka quietly got off his bed and went to his door. "Goodnight, baka…" Asuka said. "I hope someday I can tell you how I really feel…"

Asuka left Shinji's room and closed his door quietly, and then crept back to her own and went to bed. She saw Mari in what looked like a state of afterglow, smiling stupidly while she slept. "Glad I missed the grand finale…" Asuka muttered.

Asuka turned over in her bed and got comfortable. 'I can't believe I like Shinji…' Asuka thought. 'Why couldn't I admit to myself before? Everything I've done since my mother died… since I found her…' Asuka shuttered. 'I just wanted to do everything alone, but I couldn't do it… in my heart, I knew I needed someone, but my mind wouldn't let me think that way… I just wish I could tell him while he's awake… right now my mind is telling me I'm being stupid… and my heart just wants him to hold me… I want these conflicting feelings to go away… I admitted it to myself, so why can't my mind get onboard… I can't keep lying to myself, I can't live my life being alone, I have to be with others, and I want to be with Shinji… I want him all to myself… but I'm too afraid to even tell him how I feel. Maybe I should ask Hikari for advice about telling him… or at least showing him…'

Asuka smiled widely. 'I know one thing for sure… I like him an awful lot, and I'm happy I can finally say that to myself…'

End Episode IV

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

As for the songs used in this chapter, I don't own them either, and they're listed below in order of appearance:  
Dali – _Moonlight Densetsu_ (1992)  
Hironobu Kageyama – _Cha–La Head–Cha–La_ (1989)  
The All–American Rejects – _It Ends Tonight_ (2005)

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 68.4% (+5.8%)  
Asuka – 64.3% (+5.6%)  
Mari – 64.3% (+5.7%)  
Rei – 58.1% (+5.8%)

This chapter was mainly filler, I know, no Angels, just a lot of dialog, and nudity. It's amazing what you can fit in a conversation though, and this chapter helped me catch up on a few things I've been neglecting with the all the Angels attacking, as you can only cover so much in a chapter without it sounding insane.

The chapter title comes from the 1982 movie _Fast Times at Ridgemont High_.

So, the anime the kids watch, Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z are both two of my favorite shows. So, the episode of Sailor Moon that is referenced is the 125th episode overall, entitled " _The Coming Terror of Darkness: Struggle of the Eight Guardians_ " and is towards the end of the third season dealing with the final defeat of the season's main evil force. As for Dragon Ball Z, the episodes referenced are the 184th episode entitled " _The Tragic No. 16! An Enraged Super Gohan Begins Taking Action_ " and the 185th episode " _Devastating True Power! The Cell Juniors Pulverized_ " where Gohan turns Super Saiyan 2, and starts kicking some ass.

Gendo's snippet was in there for some basic goings on, as he's bound to know all the things I wanted to talk about, and having him read reports seemed like a logical way to chat about the EVA repairs and the status of both Unit–03 and Unit–04, and a few other things…

So, now we have Shinji telling both Mari and Hikari he loves Asuka, with support from the two of them, Shinji will ask her out eventually. And finally, Asuka can admit to herself she doesn't want to be alone, and wants to be with Shinji because she "likes" him. I couldn't write love from her yet, that would be very un–Asuka like. So, for now, she'll just like him a lot till she can admit that to herself.

Next up! Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy – Episode V: SEELE Strikes Back.

Please read and enjoy!

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


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